Reveal the Darkness Within
by Shirley Ann Burton
Summary: When Angela Jacobs is kidnapped by a scientist who has dangerous intentions for her magical powers, will she have to resort to something dangerous to survive, especially since she is all alone with none of her friends close by?
1. Somebody's Watching

Reveal the DARKNESS Within   
By: Shirley Ann Burton 

**Very Important Author's Note! Please read this first!**

I had started planning what to do in _Reveal the Darkness Within_ during the summer of 2001. Some people had complained that I had made my original character, Angela Jacobs, _more_ than human because I didn't allow her to do anything wrong or become that angry. Fortunately, three recently done stories (_When Exposés Attack_, _The Darkness of the Past on Trial_, and _A Double Take of Revenge_) have allowed Angie to begin showing her darker side, which finally comes to a head in this story.   
My original plot was to have Angie be kidnapped by a couple of agents and taken to a government scientist working in a laboratory at the Pentagon. However, along came the dreadful day…**September 11, 2001**. When the Pentagon became the third target of terrorists, I suddenly found myself in a rather serious writing predicament. I knew immediately I couldn't use the Pentagon anymore because that would show disrespect towards the people who were affected by the tragedy.   
For over three weeks I suffered from severe writer's block. I had absolutely no idea what I could do in this situation. I even consulted with six fellow writers to see if I could get some help about solving this writing crisis. Just when things were becoming hopeless, I found a solution from two unlikely sources: A DVD of _Sailor Moon S_ and the _Sailor Moon Art Book_. Without revealing too much, I will tell you a character in that season is very similar to the kidnapper of this story.   
In the end, I realized that I couldn't allow the events of September 11 to stop me from doing what I love, writing. They did allow me to put the plot into perspective, and get the changes I needed to make sure I would not show disrespect to the people affected by what happened. As a result, I have decided to use as **_little_** government as possible. In fact, the only two people I have planned that have anything to do with the government are Madam President Elizan Donovan (Frances Marshall's character from her fanfic _Restoration_) and Daniel Simons (my invented head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations and an old friend to one of the _Magician_ main characters).   
I want to thank my fellow writing friends for helping me get through this difficult ordeal. I will always be grateful I have great friends around the world, no matter how we appear. True friendship comes from the heart, and I believe I have been blessed with the best bunch of friends I could hope for.   
Also, there are some characters to note. Marshall, Gwydion Bright Owl, and Madam President Elizan Donovan are characters of Frances Marshall's creative mind. Angela Jacobs, Dr. Gregory Collins, Daniel Simons, and any other characters you may see are my original creations. As for Victor Raven, Frances introduced me to him and has allowed him to stay with me as a permanent character. You know the drill about borrowing them for future stories.   
That's it. Now, have fun reading, and enjoy the story. 

Part 1: Somebody's Watching 

In a very dark room, someone was watching television. On the screen was a story about the dramatic capture of two escaped fugitives: The imposter Ace Cooper, whose identity turned out to be a man named Mark Willoughby, and the rogue female magician Darlena Lowland. Both of them were stopped by Angela Jacobs, a young woman who worked alongside Ace Cooper, the Magician.   
The mysterious person had used a videodisk recorder to get as much information as possible. When the story was completed, he took the disk out and added it to a surprisingly growing collection. "Ah," he said in a very low tone. "Her power…so much power locked within this one young woman. I need someone like her in a rather important experiment. Could her powers be the key to making something that would easily take out our enemies?" The collection showed that this person had kept a close eye on her and her magical actions for months, possibly years. "I must find a way to tap that girl's magical powers and then harness it into something useful against those who would harm others. I know she's not showing everything she can do. It's time someone showed her what she's _fully_ capable of doing."   
He then went to a nearby phone and picked it up. Touching just one button, he spoke. "I want my top two men in here right now."   
In less than a minute, two ominous-looking gentlemen, both well-built yet not like Spade, entered the dark room. Both were dressed in suits and wore sunglasses. "You wanted to see us, sir?" asked one of them.   
"Yes, I did," he answered. "Gentlemen, I have a mission for you…one in which you will be paid very handsomely if you can do the job."   
The other man smiled wickedly. "We'll be glad to do it, sir. What is it you want us to do?"   
The mystery man went up to his own computer and pressed one button. "I want the two of you to find this young woman…Angela Jacobs."   
"What for, boss?"   
"I need her for a very special experiment I've been wanting to do for quite some time now. You see, Miss Jacobs is a magician…a rather powerful magician."   
"That's funny," said the first man, "I thought you didn't believe in magic."   
"Fool!" The mystery man shouted angrily. "Her powers could hold the key in creating the ultimate defense weapon! I want to harness that power and energy for such a purpose, and I can't do that unless she's _here_!" He then pushed a whole table of empty beakers off the table, breaking them all on the floor. "Don't ever question my motives, understand!?"   
The two henchmen stepped back in slight fear.   
"Okay, boss, sorry," said the second man. "Where do we find Miss Angela Jacobs?"   
"You two will find her in Electro City, California. She lives inside the home of the famous Magician Ace Cooper."   
"But, boss, how will we get her with that man watching over her?"   
The mystery man considered yelling again yet realized that would not help the situation. _I have to be careful. I want them to succeed, and I did promise them a lot of money._ "You'll have to keep close surveillance on her while you're out there in Electro City. However, I don't want anyone to know about this. You have to look as inconspicuous as possible, and you have to make the kidnapping look more like an accident. It may not be easy, but then, that's why I chose you two for this job. You're both the best in undercover work. I know you'll be able to improvise something to make certain Miss Jacobs gets here safely. Now, you have your mission. I'll book a flight for both of you to get to Electro City tonight. I want you to kidnap her tomorrow and then bring her back here by car. It'll be much easier and less noticeable in a vehicle."   
"We get the message, boss," said the first man. "We'll get her back here."   
"Oh, gentlemen, before you leave, let me ask one thing…make sure you bring her here alive. She'll be no good in the experiment if she's dead. Now, pack some tranquilizer needles. You'll need them to knock her out long enough to keep her from using any of her magic."   
"Gotcha, boss. We'll make sure she gets here as comfortably as possible."   
"Very well, gentlemen. Now, on your way."   
When the two left the dark room, the mystery man looked at the monitor again. "She looks so innocent and quiet…yet her magic is so powerful when emotionally pushed. I must see the _raw_ power that lies trapped within her soul. Miss Jacobs will be just what I need for my greatest experiment. Now, all I can do is sit back…and wait." 

**The Next Day** 

It was a breezy morning in Electro City, California. Strong winds were giving people wearing hats and scarves all kinds of fits. A heavy rainstorm occurred the night before, leaving the roads rather wet, causing more headaches for drivers.   
The residents of one particular home decided to stay in for a little while, as they decided to use this day to take advantage of catching up on some much needed tasks.   
Within the walls of the Magic Express, the Magician and his friends were hard at work, each doing an individual task.   
Ace Cooper himself was in the practice room with his panther Zina. "Hmm," Ace noted, "we've got to get this double-disappearance trick to work. The newest show is in two weeks, and we haven't exactly progressed too well on it."   
Zina gave a rather discontent growl.   
He then petted the animal. "Sorry, Zina. You know how I am when it comes to trying to get a new trick done right."   
She then went on to lick Ace all over his cheeks.   
"Okay, Zina, cut it out! C'mon, girl, stop!" He started giggling while she forced him to the ground.   
Over in his room, which also doubled as his workshop, technical wizard Cosmo worked to perfect the new holographic projector to be used in Ace's next performance. "Let's see, if I adjust this wire slightly to the right, that may fix the tuft problem." Unfortunately, the minuscule adjustment gave him a bout of static electricity. "Ow!" he yelled while flinging his right arm in pain. "Should've unplugged it first. Sheesh!"   
With his right arm still tingling, he went over to the outlet and simply pulled the plug. "Man, now I gotta use trial and error. I really hate that."   
Just then, a holographic dodecahedron appeared in the room. "Cosmo, can I help you with the calculations?"   
"Yeah, Angel, I guess so. I'll meet ya at the computer in a couple of minutes."   
He took the device and went through the kitchen, where he found a young lady busy cooking lunch. "Hey, Angie. How's lunch coming?"   
"So far, so good," she answered. "I'm so glad I finally got the chance make this ginger shrimp scaloppini. That idiotic imposter ruined everything because of what he did. If I had my way, I'd make him eat fast food three meals a day for at least a month!"   
"He probably has that while he's in prison. I'm just glad he's back there, and now we know what his real name is."   
"I am so glad Mark Willoughby will never _look_ like Ace again. It'll take forever and a day to get that little tuft back to the right shape and size. He deserved every bit of what he got…" She turned her face away to hide her simmering anger.   
"Angie…you okay?" Cosmo concernedly asked.   
After a couple of deep breaths, she turned and faced her friend. "Yeah, I'm all right. Lunch should be ready in the next 15-20 minutes."   
"That oughtta be more than enough time to get this do-hickey fixed."   
"_Do-hickey?_ Cosmo, that term is so 19th century."   
"Well, I couldn't think of anything else to call it off the top of my head."   
Angie giggled, "Okay, whatever. Just make sure you've fixed the bugs out of that holographic device."   
"With Angel's help, this baby'll be done in less than ten." He then took off for the computer room.   
Angie soon went back to her cooking, yet she knew deep within her own soul a struggle was taking place…a dangerous emotional struggle.   
Since the time she had to return to her hometown and face the two drivers who killed her parents in the road-rage accident, there were signs that a darker, more dangerous side of Angie starting to show.   
While in Mason City, Iowa, for the parole hearing, she had a frightening dream where she actually tried to squeeze the life out of one of the drivers for not showing any remorse for his actions, leading to the deaths of her parents.   
Upon her return to Electro City, the shifter known as Marshall had confronted her about the situation: Angie's darker side was desperate for recognition and…love. The shifter forced Angie to understand the dangerous struggle into which she had placed herself.   
Then, after Ace was poisoned by the imposter recently, she was determined to save his life. To do so, however, she had to join forces with dangerous rival magician Darlena Lowland. The plan did succeed, but when Darlena and Angie had their own duel of magic, a comment Darlena made caused Angie to become angered to the point of nearly strangling the rival to death.   
All those closest to her had become very concerned for her own emotional well-being, all of them realizing if she did not recognize her own darkness, something dangerous could happen from with herself.   
Angie, still clinging to hope, was determined to keep fighting the darkness…even if that meant the possibility of her own death.   
_I'll take over soon enough, Angela,_ the darker voice within herself said in a low tone. _You won't be able to run much longer._   
"We'll see about that, shadow," the female magician remarked with slight anger. "I will fight you to the end if need be."   
_You're still going to hide behind that light? I'll make you recognize me, one way or another._   
"No chance…not now, not ever." Angie's eyes began to glow again, a sign of the struggle within. "The light will always defeat the darkness."   
_Not always, my dear Angela. Sometimes, you may have to rely on darkness to survive._   
"What is that supposed to mean!?" she yelled.   
In the practice room, Ace developed a powerful feeling within himself. "Angie…she's having another 'argument' with her darker self. I'd better check on her." He and Zina then left to meet Angie in the kitchen.   
When they reached the kitchen, Ace called out to his "sister." "Angie, are you all right?"   
She turned to face him, eyes still glowing. "I'm…I'm—" She quickly turned around to get her eyes back to normal. "I'm okay."   
The Magician shook his head. "No, Angie…you're _not_ okay. I can tell that just by the way you answered. I can also sense how painful this struggle has become within your heart and soul. It's all because you won't understand that darkness is a part of the human soul."   
"No!" she snapped. "Darkness is _not_ a part of me! I don't have any!"   
"Angie, listen to me. The truth is all human beings have darker sides. Even I have one."   
"No…it's not true. You couldn't have that within you."   
"It's the truth, Angie. I _do_ have one. You have one, too, but you're not willing to accept that fact."   
Angie breathed heavily with anxiety. "How can I accept darkness? All it'll do is create more problems!"   
"How do you know that? Think about it."   
She then put her face down. "I…I don't know what to do anymore." She started crying.   
Ace came up to her and held her in a comforting embrace. "Angie…I understand how tough this is for you, and I wish I could help you, but I can't. You have to confront this situation on your own. There's nothing I can do."   
"I guess…I'm alone in this matter."   
"Only until you can understand what you're going through right now. I'm sorry."   
"Ace, um, later this afternoon, could I go out a little while, I mean, to gather my thoughts…and my feelings?"   
"Of course you can. You don't have to ask my permission; you live here."   
Wiping the tears from her face, she said, "Thanks, Ace. I'm sorry I'm putting you through all this mess."   
"Listen, just try not to worry." _How in heaven's name can I say that? She's worried to death about this struggle, and that's the best I can say? Boy, I've got to do a little better in the encouragement department._   
"I guess I could try. Anyway, the ginger shrimp scaloppini will be ready in the next few minutes."   
Taking a sniff, he knew he was in for a good meal. "Mmm, I can't wait. In fact, I may as well wait in here."   
"All right." She then went back to finish up on the new recipe. "I don't know if this will be good, though. I mean, it's the first time I've cooked this."   
"Angie, sometimes cooking a new dish is as complicated as mastering a new magic trick. It may not come out the way you expect the first time you do it. I'm not worried about it."   
Within a few minutes, Angie placed the new dish in the middle of the table. "Okay, gentlemen. Here is my new ginger shrimp scaloppini. Give it a try and tell me what you think."   
Taking a small sample of the newest dish, Cosmo blew on his fork and took the bite. "Hmm, seems pretty good." However, the ginger started kicking in, causing his mouth and throat to feel like they were on fire. "Oh…oooh…hot, it's hot!"   
Angie quickly got a glass of water for Cosmo. "Here. Take this, quick."   
Quickly gulping down the water, he soon felt better. "Not bad, but I think you put a little _too_ much ginger in it."   
Ace then took his bite. "Wow, extra spicy!" He then made his own glass of water appear and quickly swallowed the full glass. "Yeah, slightly too much ginger used. You'll have to tone back on it next time."   
"I appreciate the input, guys," Angie said contentedly. "Least I know my dishes won't come out right the first time all the time."   
Everyone giggled about the whole thing, despite the fact everyone in the room knew that something serious was really happening.   
Afterward, they went to the living room to watch the news.   
On the screen was Professor Jonathan Surge, brilliant scientist and owner of the Surge Consortium. He was talking about a colleague who was about to be given a special science award. "I have to admire the audacious efforts of Dr. Collins. He is always willing to do something good in the name of science and does things ethically right."   
"Dr. Collins?" said Cosmo.   
"I know who the professor's talking about," Angie noted. "His name is Dr. Gregory Collins. He's one of the most well-known scientists in the world, just barely behind Professor Surge. When I attended Iowa State, Collins assisted some of the grad students with a project on how to solve the energy crisis we had a few years ago."   
"Wait," said Ace, "I know who he is now. He helped to isolate the gene which causes heart disease, which resulted in a scientific breakthrough for people who had inherited heart disease in their families. He started with lab animals first, and then tried it on only about 100 people. The results were so astounding the FDA wanted it approved almost immediately. You're right, Angie. Dr. Collins is definitely a noteworthy scientist."   
"I guess he's about to receive the prestigious Science World Award. Didn't Professor Surge win it at least three times?"   
"Five to be exact," said Cosmo.   
Prof. Surge then added more about Dr. Collins. "He will win it for the second time in three years. I wouldn't be surprised if he ends up passing me for the record of five in the next few years."   
Ace then called on Angel. "Where is Dr. Collins?"   
"His main residency is Washington, DC, where he is also a professor of medical science at District University, also located in Washington."   
"Yeah," added Angie. "He lives in a modest home, even though he makes a lot of money with the job he has."   
Ace started feeling something from Angie once again. "You need to go out for now?"   
"Yeah…I'll see you guys a little later." She then grabbed her purse and took the Magic Bike out of the Magic Express.   
Cosmo and Ace looked at each other in worry.   
"Dude, ya think she's gonna be okay?"   
"I don't know, Cosmo. Right now, I just don't know. She's still afraid to accept her own darkness. The danger is building up, and it may explode very soon. The question right now is…when." 

She arrived at the DNA Club/Mall within 20 minutes and quickly entered the shopping center. To her surprise, she found her new boyfriend Victor Raven near the information center. "Victor!" she yelled happily.   
He turned and saw his love. "Angie!"   
The two came up to each other and hugged happily.   
Victor then looked at the female magician. "So, um, you still dealing with your inner demons right now?"   
"Yes, I am, I'm sorry to say. Um, Victor, I have to admit I'm starting to get very worried—no, make that scared."   
"Why? Why are you afraid?"   
"I'm concerned if something does happen to me, I could hurt people…including you." She then turned away for a moment. "Victor, I'm scared what I could do may destroy what we have right now."   
He made her face his sad eyes. "Angie, I love you. I know you're going through emotional turmoil right now, but there is nothing on this planet that would make me stop loving you, not even this struggle with your inner demons. If you need me, I'll always be at your side, just like Ace, Cosmo, and the others."   
The pair grew closer together and kissed for a few seconds, yet felt like forever.   
Just like before, though, Victor felt sadness in the kiss. _Angie, I know you have to deal with your inner demons yourself, but I promise no matter what happens, I will still love you. I hope you will never forget that._   
After letting go, Victor looked at his watch. "Oops, time to get back. The man in charge of the security system is out sick today, so Dad left me in charge of security. He's gonna blow it if I don't get myself back to the office."   
"Okay. Be careful."   
"Same to you. Bye."   
As he left, Angie whispered, "Bye." She then blew a kiss to him.   
She then started walking around the mall to see if there were any good bargains, particularly items that could help Ace with his latest show.   
Going by the greeting card shop, she saw some good birthday cards. "Hmm, I could use those for upcoming birthdays. I know Mona's supposed to have one next month. Why not? Go ahead and stock up on the cards now so I won't have to worry about them later."   
She then found at least six different greeting cards and made her purchase.   
Leaving the store, the gust of wind coming from the outside door of the mall caused her hair to get messed up. "Oh, dear. I'd better get to the ladies' room and fix my hair. I can't stand messy hair."   
She made it to the area where she could freshen herself up. Taking the brush out of her purse to start fixing her hair, she went simple stroke after simple stroke.   
Finishing up shortly, she started making her way towards the exit of the ladies' room. However, as she tried to open the door, she found it to be mysteriously locked. "Hey…what's going on here?" She tried to pull the door open, then attempted pushing it, but to no avail. "Something funny's happening here, but I'm _not_ laughing." Closing her eyes to focus on her magic, she wanted to use her powers to get the door open and escape.   
Suddenly, she started smelling something, something malodorous. "What the—" She started coughing heavily. "It's some kinda gas…I-I can't breathe. What's happening to me?" She then tried to summon her special power. "Magic Force…re…veal…" Unable to finish the sentence, she managed to say one last thing before she completely lost consciousness. "Ace…help…please." She finally fell to the ground, out cold.   
Two gentlemen then unlocked the door and entered the ladies' room. Both of them wore gas masks to protect themselves from its effects.   
"Looks like we got her," said one of the gentlemen.   
"Yeah. Now all we have to do is get her to the boss safely. Then, we'll be rakin' in the dough!"   
"Right. Let's go."   
The two men picked her up, and the first one pulled her over his shoulders.   
They came out of the ladies' room unnoticed, or so they thought.   
What they failed to notice was a little boy lost in the mall. He was trying to locate the information desk when he noticed two gentlemen carrying off with a young woman. He immediately recognized the young woman. "It's Angela Jacobs!" he whispered in fear. "I gotta find somebody!" He then ran to find the information desk and report a possible crime.   
In the security office, Victor was keeping a close eye on things when he started noticing one of the screens. "Hey, what's this?" He made the camera zoom in on the situation. "Looks like two gentlemen carrying someone. No, maybe it's a mannequin. I—wait a minute. Why would they carry a mannequin from the ladies' room on the west side?" Making the image even closer and sharper, he discovered what was really going on. "It's a kidnapping!" He then ran towards his father's main office. "Dad! We've got an emergency!"   
Robert Raven, the owner of the DNA Club/Mall and Victor's father, noticed his older son's rather frantic look. "Son, calm down. What's going on?"   
"The security camera's picked up a possible abduction. Two gentlemen are walking off with a young woman."   
"Where is it?"   
"West side of the mall, just outside the ladies' room."   
"Okay, we'll activate all the locks, and I'll see if I can keep the people calm."   
Mr. Raven ran up to the intercom system and spoke as calmly as possible. "Attention all customers and employees. We have a possible kidnapping in progress. We are going to lock the mall up, but I want everyone to remain calm. Everyone on the west side of the mall be on the lookout for two gentlemen and a young woman. The young woman may be the victim. Be very cautious." He then turned to Victor. "Activate all the locks immediately, starting with the west side lock."   
"I'm on it, Dad."   
Meanwhile, in that area, the two gentlemen heard the announcement and started running faster.   
"Great," complained one of them. "We're supposed to be inconspicuous, and now we've been found out! How?"   
The other answered, "They must have an advanced security system. I knew we should have studied the schematics of this place first."   
"We've got to reach the door before they activate all the locks!"   
The two ran as fast as they could, being very careful not to drop their victim. Pushing their way through the crowd, they managed to get out the door just before the locks activated.   
In the office, Victor saw the two escape. "Dad, they're outside the mall now. Should we get the police?"   
"Yes. Notify the police and tell them someone is being abducted. By the way, what does the victim look like?"   
"It's hard to tell right now. The camera can't see her face."   
That made his father even more nervous, but he took a couple of deep breaths to calm down. "Very well. Tell the police we have a kidnapping in progress right now. They have left the mall and may quickly try to leave town."   
Victor picked up the telephone and contacted the police. "We have an emergency here at the DNA Club/Mall. Angela Jacobs is being abducted even as we speak, and the kidnappers have left the mall. We don't know what their next move is, but we have security cameras checking the parking lot. Mall is currently in lockdown."   
The two gentlemen quickly made it to the car in which they planned to get away.   
The one holding Angie noticed the camera. "Quick, take care of the video!"   
The other threw a grenade right at the camera and blew it out. "That should keep them from ID'ing the car. Now, let's get outta here!"   
The one with Angie gently lay her into the back seat of the car and quickly got into the passenger side. "Go, go!"   
The car quickly skidded away and left the parking lot in a matter of seconds. 

Meanwhile, at the Magic Express, Ace practiced with Zina on improving their double-disappearance trick when he suddenly heard a weak voice within his mind. _Ace…help…please._   
He gasped in worry. "Angie…something's happening to her." He then closed his eyes and psychically communicated with her. _Angie, are you all right? Where are you? Can you hear me?_   
Trying to make the image clearer, he could only see swirls. "She's fallen victim to some sort of gas or drug. I can't see anything in her mind."   
Just then, Angel appeared in the room. "Ace, Lieutenant Vega calling, and it sounds very urgent."   
"Patch it through here."   
Vega appeared on the room's video screen. "Ace," he said with a sad look on his face, "there's a possible kidnapping in progress. I think you'll be needed."   
"Wait, Derek…I sensed Angie in some kind of trouble."   
"You did? The victim does appear to be a young woman. Could it be…oh, no…Angie."   
"No…not my kindred sister. Who's responsible? Faceless!? Black Jack?"   
"Ace, we don't know who's behind it. Right now, though, we've set up a dragnet all over the city to make sure they don't leave. I'm on my way to the mall now to check with Mr. Raven and Victor on the security."   
"I'll meet you there ASAP, Vega."   
"You sure?"   
"I'm not about to sit here and do nothing while Angie's life could be in danger."   
"Okay, but you need to calm down first."   
"I understand…sorry."   
"All right, I'll see you there."   
As soon as the screen went black, Ace grabbed his cape and quickly ran out of the room towards the garage.   
Cosmo and Zina were heading back to the workshop when they saw Ace running fast.   
"Dude!" Cosmo exclaimed. "What's the rush?"   
Running by he answered, "Get to the Magic Racer. We're going to the DNA Mall."   
Cosmo and Zina looked at each other in grave concern. "Ace talkin' like that means something's majorly wrong. C'mon, girl." The young man and the panther ran to the garage and to Ace's special car.   
Seconds later the Magic Racer zoomed out of the garage with Ace driving almost wildly.   
"Whoa, dude, wait a sec!" yelled Cosmo. "What's with you!? Slow down!"   
Ace pulled over to the side and took a couple of deep breaths. "I'm sorry, Cosmo. I didn't mean to be so crazy like this while driving."   
"Ace, just tell me what's going on."   
Putting his face down, the Magician slowly responded, "I got word from Vega that Angie may have been…"   
"Been what?"   
"Kidnapped from the mall. Two men abducted a young woman from there, and Angie was going there."   
"It's gotta be Spade and Diamond!" Cosmo quickly stated. "Black Jack isn't exactly fond of her."   
"It could be, but Vega isn't sure who it is just yet. Besides, Jack does have some respect for Angie. That's why I want to check the security camera video."   
"Gotcha, dude. Now will ya take it easy driving?"   
"Sure. Let's go." Ace started his car again and drove more peacefully to the mall.   
When they got to the mall, police vehicles were already surrounding all the entrances.   
Ace found Vega at the west side doors.   
"Ace," the lieutenant said, "Bob and Victor have the video disk ready for you to look at. Maybe you can tell who kidnapped Angie."   
"I'll certainly try."   
Ace and the others went into the security office.   
There, Victor had already prepared the video. "Okay, here's where the kidnappers were. They had just left the ladies' room with a young woman in tow. I spotted it with the camera and zoomed in. I wasn't sure who the victim was at first. We put the mall into security lockdown, but they managed to get out just before the locks activated. We then tried to use the cameras outside to locate the escape vehicle, but one of them blew out the camera with a grenade."   
Victor then zoomed in on the two kidnappers. "It looks like two men in suits, but that's all we got. They're pretty dark suits, too."   
"That would rule out Spade and Diamond," Ace concluded. "They where suits in three colors, not one."   
Just then, Captain Friedrichs came into the room. "Vega, what is this? Why is the mall completely surrounded by the police?"   
"Because someone has been abducted from here. The kidnappers managed to get out of the mall just before the locks activated."   
"And just who is the victim?"   
"We don't know for sure who it is yet."   
Just then, an officer walked in with a small boy. "Sir, this boy may know who the victim is."   
Friedrichs just scoffed. "How can a little boy know!? He's probably making this all up."   
After seeing the boy shake in fear, Vega looked at his superior coldly. "Look, I'm willing to go on every lead we have right now, and I'll listen to an eight-year-old if need be." He then came up to the small child and calmly said, "It's okay. He can be a bit scary. Now, why don't you tell me what you saw."   
The boy took some deep breaths and started his story. "I was lost in the mall and looking for Mommy. I then saw to big men walking out of the bathroom. Both of them were wearing strange masks. One of them had a girl on his shoulder. When he sorta swung around, I did see the girl's face, and I knew right away who she was."   
"You know who the person is? Can you tell us who?"   
"It was…Angela Jacobs, the girl magician."   
That sent shockwaves through everyone in the room.   
"No," whispered Cosmo. "Not her. What has she done to deserve this?"   
Vega's eyes went into disbelief. "She's so nice to a lot of people. Who would want to kidnap her?"   
Victor and Ace were both brewing with anger.   
"If I find the people who kidnapped Angie," said Victor, "I'll break every limb on them!"   
"Save some for me," added Ace. "They'll pay dearly for this."   
Meanwhile, the two gentlemen who abducted Angie were seemingly making their clean getaway, until they noticed a water-filled police barrier ahead of them.   
One of the officers yelled into his megaphone. "Stop in the name of the law!"   
"You wish!" the driver yelled. He then sped up the car and crashed it right through the barrier, allowing them to escape completely.   
The officer then took out his radio to contact Friedrichs. "Sir, the vehicle went straight through. They've escaped, but not before we managed to get a description and license plate."   
"Very well. What information do you have?"   
"It's a black sedan with California license plate 075PMD."   
"Good. That will certainly help in this case." He then turned off the radio. "When someone disappears, we have to wait 24 hours to declare her missing, but—"   
Ace came up and grabbed Friedrichs by the shirt. "How can you say that!? Angie may not have 24 hours!"   
"If you would let me finish, Cooper, I was about to say in the case of someone being abducted, the rule is waived, and the FBI has to get involved."   
"That's my department, then," said Vega. "The head of the FBI is an old friend of mine from our police academy days. I'll get in touch with him immediately."   
Ace finally calmed down and let go of Friedrichs. "Sorry about that, Captain. I thought you were going with your typical nose-by-the-book routine."   
"Cooper, that is the typical routine in an abduction. If you don't think I'm concerned for the safety of Angela Jacobs, you're wrong this time. My question is, will there be a ransom involved?"   
"Seems like a good bet," answered Vega. "If that's the case, they'd more than likely contact Ace in the Express. In the meantime, I need to get on the horn to Washington and fill him in."   
Vega then went to the videophone and picked up the line. "I hope you can help old friend, because we're gonna need it." 

Over 3000 miles away in Washington, DC, it was early evening when one person was still left in the office which housed the headquarters of the Federal Bureau of Investigations.   
A gentleman in his mid-50s, he was appointed by President Elizan Donovan to be in charge of the FBI, which had made great improvements in the last few decades in terms of solving some of the most complex cases.   
"Well, time for me to get on home. The leftovers from Shelley's baby shower should hold me over tonight. I'm happy for her." He then heard his videophone ring. "Hmm, who could be calling me at this hour?" He then pressed the button on his phone to receive the call. "Daniel Simons, FBI. Can I help you?"   
"Dan, it's me, Derek."   
Simons's eyes widened. "Derek…Derek Vega? I never thought I'd hear from you again, old buddy. How are you?"   
"Well…I could be better."   
"Uh-oh. This isn't a personal call, is it?"   
"Nope, 'fraid not. We've had a kidnapping here in Electro City."   
"Oh, no. Who was kidnapped?"   
"Angela Jacobs."   
"She's that female magician who works with Ace Cooper, right?"   
"Yeah, that's the one. Two men abducted her from the mall here and crashed through a water barrier. They've left the city and could be anywhere. I've got the video disk from the security cameras, so I'll transfer the images from here to you."   
In a matter of seconds, Simons was able to see the abduction taking place. "Okay, Derek. Can you give me vital stats on Angela and the vehicle?"   
Vega gave Simons as much information as he could get off the top of his head, including the vehicle and license plate. "Does that help?"   
"Yes, it certainly does. We'll put out a nationwide alert to be on the lookout for Angela Jacobs and the black sedan with California plate 075PMD. And one other thing, I suggest you use the media. They may be of help in situations like this. When people realize someone like Angela's been kidnapped, the citizens do become more vigilant."   
"I agree. I'll ask Captain Friedrichs to allow Sensa-News to broadcast the information as soon as possible."   
"You mean you're still not the captain yet?"   
"The way politics are around here, I probably never will be. Well, we don't have time to lose. We've got to get this moving, or we may end up finding Angie dead."   
"Don't worry, Derek. I'm on the case." 

After finishing the conversation on the videophone, Vega went back to the others. "Dan's implementing the operations now. He's contacting all the associated FBI and state agencies to be on the lookout for the vehicle, and Angie."   
"Good, it's a start," said Ace in slight relief.   
"We can do even more with help from Sensa-News. Captain, I think it's time to get the media to work with us on this case."   
Friedrichs slightly hesitated but realized Vega was right. "Okay, we need to get this set up immediately. Perhaps the media can be of help in locating Angela Jacobs."   
"I want to be there, too," said Victor. "I have to make some kind of plea for her safe return."   
"Count me in," added Cosmo.   
Ace looked at everyone in the room. "I know I will be there, and so will Mona. Angie is a member of my family, and we all care about her."   
"Very well," said Friedrichs. "Mr. Raven, we'll need a copy of the video disk to—"   
"Already done," said Raven when he pulled up the copy. "Here you go."   
"Now, let's get to Sensa-News and get this thing ready to broadcast."   
Everyone left the security room except for Raven. He could not help but worry. "I know how much Victor and Angie love each other. God, please, protect her from harm as best you can." 


	2. The Hunt Is On

Reveal the DARKNESS Within   
Part 2: The Hunt Is On

**Important note:**   
** When you see type looking like this: _¿Cómo está usted?_ (How are you, sir?), this means there is Spanish involved. The English translation is in parentheses. I hope this clarifies any confusion this could bring. If not, please e-mail me.**

Ace, Cosmo, and Zina were on their way to Sensa-News Studios in the hope they could plea for the safe return of their friend Angela Jacobs, who had been abducted from the DNA Club/Mall area less than an hour earlier.   
The Magician wondered whether calling his girlfriend Mona Malone would be important. _Mona thinks of Angie as a sister also, since they can have woman-to-woman talk with each other. It's never been easy for Mona to talk with anyone, especially with her father. Yes, it's for the best that I **do** tell her what's happened._   
He activated the vidphone in the Magic Racer to contact Mona.   
At her home on the coast, Mona heard her telephone ringing. She quickly answered it. "Hello?"   
"Mona…it's Ace."   
She heard the despondent voice of her lifelong friend and true love. "Ace, is something wrong?"   
"Um, I don't know how to say this to you, Mona, but…it's Angie."   
"What? What's happened to her?"   
"She…she's been kidnapped."   
"_Kidnapped!?_ By whom? If my father's behind this, I'll—"   
"No, Mona. Your father's not responsible for this. The only clues we have are an eyewitness account and the videodisk from the mall security system. We're heading over to Sensa-News now to make a plea and show the disk to the public. It's possible someone may know who the kidnappers are."   
After taking a few deep breaths to get herself calmed down, Mona added, "I'm heading there, too. I'll meet you there ASAP."   
She then replaced the receiver on its stand and quickly rushed to her convertible. Leaving in a hurry for the studios, Mona became very worried. _Angie, wherever you are, I hope you're all right. We're all praying for your safety._   
In a matter of minutes, everyone arrived at the studio, with Kendra Rayler in waiting. "My boss just got a telephone call from Captain Friedrichs. Is it true? Has Angela Jacobs been…"   
"Yes," answered Ace. "She's been kidnapped. Now it's up to us to make a plea and show this videodisk to everyone. Perhaps this will help us try to locate her."   
"Agreed, Mr. Cooper. I like that young lady, too, but as a reporter, I have to remain as objective and unbiased as possible. The best thing to do is interrupt regular programming now."   
The stage director then asked for the videodisk, which he would cue up when it was the right time.   
Quickly, everyone watching television in Electro City had their programming cut short. "We interrupt this program for a special report," said the voice.   
The screen then cut straight to Rayler herself. "We have just received word from ECPD that female magician Angela Jacobs…was abducted from the DNA Club/Mall almost two hours ago. I am now speaking with Police Lieutenant Derek Vega. Lieutenant, are there any known details about this kidnapping?"   
"At the moment, we only have an eyewitness account from an eight-year-old boy, whose identity will remain confidential, and a videodisk from the mall's security system. Bob Raven has already made a copy of that disk."   
"Yes, and we have that copy here at the studios. If someone will cue it up, please, we'll show you exactly what did happen at the mall."   
Soon, the footage appeared on the millions of TV screens in the city and around the country.   
Rayler then said, "Lieutenant, can you explain what's happening here?"   
"Yes, two men are walking out of the ladies' room on the west side of the mall, with one of them holding the victim over his shoulder. We couldn't identify the two men or the victim at that time, but a police officer brought in a boy, about eight, who said he could tell who the victim was just by her facial features."   
"And the victim was…"   
"Angela Jacobs."   
Rayler then faced the camera once more. "Folks, we're showing you this disk here because perhaps someone in the country knows about the two kidnappers or where Jacobs may be." She then faced the lieutenant again. "Is there any other information that may be of help?"   
"Yes, we learned the vehicle they used is a black sedan with the California license plate 075PMD. The kidnappers crashed through a water barrier we had set up, but it slowed them down just enough to get info on the vehicle."   
"Good, thank you, Lieutenant." Looking into the camera, she stated, "Now, four of Jacobs's closest friends are here: Ace Cooper, Cosmo, Mona Malone, and Victor Raven. We're currently trying to make contact with her best friend Ashley Brighton in Mason City, Iowa, and we should have that connection in about three-to-four minutes. In the meantime, I'll be talking with the four here in the studio."   
She started with Victor first. "Now, Victor, you're the son of Bob Raven, the owner of the DNA, and a very close friend of Jacobs's, right?"   
"Yes, I am on both questions."   
"Please tell us about her from your perspective."   
"Well…Angie is a fun-loving person who cares a lot about life itself. She's always the type of person willing to protect anyone from getting hurt. She has such a warm and friendly personality, and her being a protégé to Ace Cooper won't go to her head. She may be a celebrity, but she'll almost _never_ act like one. That's what I truly admire about her."   
Rayler started detecting he was _more_ than just a close friend. _I could…no. I think this young man is her boyfriend, but right now finding Jacobs is more important than the personal life. I'm not about to become another Paparazzo._ "Thank you, Victor."   
She then changed her focus to Mona. "Miss Malone, what is Jacobs like to you?"   
"Someone who cares about others no matter where they come from or what their relatives tend to be like. Angie to me is like the eye of the hurricane. Growing up with a mother and a father is something almost none of us understand, but she does. She lived with two wonderful parents who cared for her and nurtured her into a beautiful young woman. She has so much heart and spirit, and just her smile can create magic."   
"I can understand your concern for her safety right now."   
"Yes, I just want the kidnappers to bring her home safely. She's a special person to all of us, and I don't want her to get hurt."   
"I understand, Miss Malone. Thank you. Cosmo, you and Mr. Cooper have known Jacobs for nearly three years now. How has she made a difference to you?"   
The young man sighed and then answered, "She's given me a better sense of the word 'family.' Angie cooks some of the coolest dishes I've ever tasted. Just earlier today she created a dish called ginger shrimp scaloppini. When we were asked to try it, we noticed it was just a bit too hot, but our input does help her with making the dishes better."   
"Now, Jacobs is a magician, but does she actually apply that at home?"   
Ace then took up the answering. "Only when we practice for a performance," he said. "When it comes to cooking or doing chores, she will _never_ practice magic. The way she was raised, she feels more rewarded doing things with her own two hands than with magic. The only time she applies magic in cooking is for a recipe trick, and that practice takes weeks to master mainly because she isn't used to doing that."   
"Mr. Cooper, she is supposed to be performing with you in the next two weeks. How will this affect the preparation process?"   
"Well, it really shouldn't affect things physically, but emotionally is a different story. We all care about her that much, and we want her to come home safely."   
"I understand. I believe we…have the satellite hook-up now, and we can speak to Ashley Brighton in Mason City, Iowa. Miss Brighton, can you hear me?"   
On the screen, the first-grade teacher stood outside of Learnier Elementary School. She was about to leave work for the day when she heard the news about her best friend. "Yes, I can hear you."   
"You've known Angie since when?"   
"Since we met in the first grade. We've been very close for about 18 years now."   
"When you learned what had happened to Angie, what was your reaction?"   
"Basically shock, anger, and pain. I mean, I know of no one who would do such a thing to a person who has always helped others when they needed it." _No one except my own mother, that is, but now's not the time to reveal this on national television._ Ashley had only told the members of the local town council about her mother Carlita being the master criminal known as Faceless and feared telling Rayler would possibly compromise her own position, though unintentionally.   
"Yes, as we showed in the clearing up of the exposé wrongfully done on Jacobs. Do your students know about this situation?"   
"If they're watching this right now, they _do_ know, then. Parents, if you are watching this with your children, please take the time to calmly discuss the situation because ignoring the problem will only invoke fear into the kids."   
"That is some good advice, Miss Brighton. Parents, please reassure your kids that what has happened to Miss Jacobs will _not_ happen to them if they are careful enough. What happened to the female magician was in broad daylight in a public mall, and it isn't the first time something this…heinous has happened. Miss Brighton, will you be okay?"   
"Only if Angie's found safe and brought back to her friends. All I can really do now is wait and pray."   
"Just like the rest of us. Miss Brighton, we appreciate you coming on here on such short notice…if it were only under more pleasant circumstances."   
"In situations like these, I think it's important for the media to become an ally to help in the search for her and those who did kidnap her. You're doing a good job over there, and this will certainly be of help."   
"Thank you, Miss Brighton, for joining us."   
"I'm glad I could help."   
As soon as the screen returned to Rayler, she said, "We're going to show the video one more time." As the video was being played again, she added, "Folks, please, if you have seen Angela Jacobs, the two kidnappers, or the black sedan with California license plate 075PMD, please notify local authorities in your area. They will then contact the ECPD here and the FBI, who is also assisting in the search for the missing female magician. Stay tuned to Sensa-News for the latest developments in this possibly dangerous situation."   
As the screens faded to white, the following information was seen with a photo of Angie:   
Name: Angela Connie Jacobs   
Age: 25   
Height: 5ft., 4in. Weight: 122 lbs.   
Eyes: Green Hair: Light Brown   
Residence: Electro City, California   
Occupation: Magician   
Last seen: DNA Club/Mall   
Last clothing: Short-sleeve green t-shirt, white khaki slacks, and white sneakers   
"This has been a Sensa-News Special Report," said the voice-over. "We now return you to your regular programming."   
After the director finished the session, Rayler looked at all of them with concern. "Will all of you be okay right now?"   
Mona answered, "All we can really do right now is wait…and pray…she'll be all right somehow." 

The kidnappers were driving the black sedan through the desert, already having gone well over 350 miles in just 2 ½ hours. They were celebrating their successful job.   
"Man, this is gonna be a major league pay day!" yelled the driver happily.   
The passenger agreed. "Oh, yeah! The boss is gonna be thrilled, and we'll get all that money!"   
He then turned on the radio to find a good classic station.   
That music was suddenly interrupted by the news. "This just in out of Electro City, California. Female magician Angela Jacobs was abducted in broad daylight from the DNA Club/Mall by two men. They apparently wore gas masks to avoid taking in what they used on her. Police was able to find no trace of the gas used, but they did identify the car. Authorities are looking for a black sedan with the California license plate 075PMD. Anyone who sees this car should—"   
The driver quickly turned off the radio and yelled at his partner. "You idiot! Now everybody's looking for us and this little girl here!"   
"It's not my fault!" snapped the passenger. "How'd they find out about us anyway?"   
"That water barrier, you blockhead! We crashed through it, but it slowed us long enough for the police to get the info on the car! Now we've got to switch cars before the cops get all over us!"   
"How? There isn't a place to go for at least another hundred miles."   
"We'll just have to hotwire a car from somewhere. There's got to be a place we can find a vehicle. Keep your eyes peeled for a gas station or something where we can find more than one car. If we don't change cars soon, we'll get caught, and the boss won't like this."   
The passenger looked for at least 20 miles but then saw a sign. "Hey, gas station, two miles away."   
"Good, now let's hope we've got a new car to use."   
Less than a minute later, they arrived at the gas station and noticed an ancient truck, one which appeared not to have been used for a number of years. Just as they thought their luck would run out, someone else from the east came along to stop at the gas station.   
"We'll wait until he goes inside. When he does, grab the girl and get ready to move into that car."   
The gentleman from the east filled his car up and went inside the service station to pay the attendant.   
The kidnappers then grabbed Angie from their black sedan and quickly moved over to the new car. As the passenger lay Angie in the back seat of this car, the driver quickly got the door open and hotwired it to start.   
As the engine started, he yelled, "We got it! Let's go now!"   
His partner quickly jumped into the front seat as he got the vehicle under way.   
The car owner and the gas station attendant both ran out of the building to see the car disappear over the horizon in a hurry.   
"I don't believe it!" yelled the car owner. "Those jerks stole my car!"   
The gas station attendant then looked at the vehicle. "Hmm, California plate, 075PMD."   
"So what? That's my car they stole!"   
"Um, young'un, have you been listening to the news?"   
"I've been too busy listening to my mini-discs. Why?"   
"It's got to do with that girl magician who was kidnapped earlier today. This is the car."   
"Girl magician?" He thought for a moment and finally realized how important this car was. "Of course, Angela Jacobs, the female magician!"   
"Right, young'un. Now, go inside and contact the sheriff's office. I'll stay at the car."   
"Okay, I'm on it."   
About 20 minutes later, at least four units from the local sheriff's office arrived at the gas station.   
One of the deputies questioned the car owner and the gas station attendant. "Okay, this is the car, all right, and you say the same people stole your car?"   
"Yes, sir."   
"Please describe your vehicle."   
"It's a dark-green sportscar with Kansas plate 7T33RX2. Will that help?"   
"Yes, sir. That definitely helps. We'll need to impound this car and get the FBI out here. The kidnappers must have left fingerprints on it, so I'm glad neither of you touched the car."   
"We understand," said the attendant. "This car will definitely provide some clues for ya."   
"We appreciate your help, gentlemen."   
In a matter of minutes, the call got out to both the FBI and Lieutenant Vega at police headquarters in Electro City.   
"Wow, got a break in less than three hours," said Vega excitedly. He grabbed his car keys. "Miss LeSage, hold the fort here. I've got to get to the Magic Express and give Ace this news."   
Vega arrived at the Express a short time later to tell Ace what had happened. "We got our first big break in the case. The kidnappers found out about the search for the black sedan and abandoned it at a local gas station about 28 miles east of Seligman, Arizona."   
"What about Angie?"   
"No sign of her."   
"Vega, it's not good enough! Angie needs to be found and soon!"   
"Calm down, Ace. Let me tell something else. The car did have valuable fingerprints on it, and the FBI is already examining the prints to see if we can identify the kidnappers. In the process, though, they ended up stealing a different car to cover their tracks. Dan's already got the information on the newly stolen car and has already put out an all-points bulletin on it. Hopefully those fingerprints will help us learn who the kidnappers are, but we won't know that until at least tomorrow morning."   
"It's not that I'm worried about…it's Angie's emotional state. If she isn't found quickly, her buried darkness could explode out of her and cause serious damage, even injury to others."   
Vega kept his head about Angie's personal danger. "I know how you feel right now, but you mustn't let this eat you alive. It's not your fault for what happened. You're doing the best you can to help her; that's all anyone can ask of one person."   
"Still, I should've been watching her more closely."   
Mona then came into the Express. "I just had a talk with Father. He said he doesn't know anybody who would be daring enough to try a broad-daylight kidnapping."   
Ace just turned and walked away from his friends. "Just leave me alone right now."   
He then walked into Angie's room. The door closing behind him, he saw the photo of her and her parents on the dresser drawer. He took the image and looked closely at it, like he could see them in front of his eyes. "I'm sorry," he whispered sadly. "I couldn't protect your daughter. I let you both down."   
In his mind, he heard the soft voice of Angie's mother Nancy. _No, Ace. You haven't failed us. You may be a powerful magician, but you can only do so much._   
_ But still,_ Ace thought back, _your daughter's emotional situation is worsening. It was my responsibility to keep an eye on her._   
Robert, Angie's father, then spoke to him. _Ace, don't blame yourself for what happened to Angie. You're doing all you can. You can't be everywhere, though. No one could have seen this coming, not even us. Besides, you do now have a lead as to where she's been so far. Don't lose hope._   
_ Robert is right, Ace,_ added Nancy, _for when you lose hope, that is when all is lost. You and your friends are very concerned for her safety and her buried darker feelings, like we are. You must have faith and hope._   
Ace slowly nodded at her parents' truth. "Yes, I can't give up hope. There must be a way for me to find her somehow." He placed the photo back on the drawer and sat on her bed.   
There, he recalled the first night Angie had arrived in Electro City. "She just wanted a place to stay after Jack took her apartment away. It's hard to believe it's been about three years now since she became a mainstay here in the Express. Her powers grow stronger all the time…it's just the darkness she's ignoring. If she doesn't accept that darker self, she'll suffer disastrous consequences." He then realized about her powers. "Wait…if I can somehow push our psychic bond to the absolute limit, perhaps I can locate her. I don't care if she's out of our range; I won't sit by and do nothing while Angie's suffering out there somewhere."   
He then stood up, closed his eyes, and extended his arms to the sides. Beginning to glow brightly in his violet aura, Ace calmly chanted, "Magic Force within me, please help me locate my kindred sister's heart. I know she is in grave danger right now."   
Breathing deeply, the Magician felt himself trying to see past the complete darkness in his mind. As he started breathing harder, he started concentrating harder and even gritted his teeth. _I must…push harder…go farther…than ever before. I will keep going…all the way to the limit! Come on Angie, please, help me find you._ "I…have to keep going…no matter what."   
Vega had given Mona the latest information about Angie's kidnapping and left the Express to return to police headquarters.   
Cosmo had come to the living room with a cup of chamomile tea for Mona. "Here, thought you'd want this."   
"Thanks, Cosmo."   
"Say, where's Ace at?"   
"He went into Angie's room alone. I think he's upset at himself for not being able to prevent her kidnapping."   
"Aw, it's not his fault. We know that."   
"Maybe, but he's been in that room for the last 10 minutes now. I'm gonna check on him."   
She stepped up from the couch and walked towards Angie's room when she heard Ace screaming in pain. "Oh, my God!" she whispered in concern. "Angel, open the door, quick!"   
As soon as the computer obeyed the command, Mona came in and saw Ace on the floor while his aura faded. "Ace!" She ran up to him and held his hand. "Ace, are you okay?"   
Slowly regaining consciousness, he noticed his girlfriend. "Mona…I, um—"   
"Just what were you trying to do!? Kill yourself or something?"   
"I was…trying to find Angie…by pushing our bond…to the limit. I guess…it didn't work."   
As Mona helped him back to his feet, she simply said, "Ace, I know you're very worried about her. We all are right now…but harming yourself to find her will be of no help to anyone. She would never want you hurting yourself trying to locate her telepathically. Your bond with her does have its limits, and it wouldn't surprise me if the kidnappers have taken her beyond that limit now. There's basically nothing we can do now except wait, hope, and pray."   
He turned away for just a moment to gather his thoughts. "I know you're right." Facing her again, he said, "Mona, can I ask you something, and would you be honest with me, please?"   
"Of course, Ace. What is it?"   
"Do you sometimes get…jealous of Angie and me because we do share this bond with each other?"   
"At times, yes. On the other hand, I have also come to the understanding that you and Angie each possess a special power, one to which you both are bonded to each other. Ace, you know I love her like she were a sister. In a way, I'm glad you finally brought this matter up."   
"You've been waiting for me to ask this? Why?"   
"Because…you are the one who has been there for me all these years. I can understand why you were concerned I would become jealous or something. I have to admit, there are times I wish I could read your mind." She then held his hand for comfort. "Ace, I'll tell you something. When Angie entered our lives, she became a source of inner strength for all of us. We all have had either a fractured family life or none at all. Like I said at the studios today, she came from a normal home with parents who raised her with all their love. What she has done for others is always out of the kindness of her heart.   
"What worries me now is the fact she's completely ignoring her own darkness. We all have had to deal with our own darker feelings, yet Angie seems frightened to even think about it."   
"She's _very_ frightened to think about it," Ace noted seriously. "She's so scared of that happening she believes in her heart we _won't_ be her friends anymore if that darkness comes to be…and we see it."   
"But…we're always here for her when she needs us and vice versa. Why won't she say anything about her own anger and pain?"   
"She's afraid to…there are times I can sense she thinks she doesn't _deserve_ to have any friends."   
"Angie not deserving of friends? That's baloney!"   
"To us, you're right. To Angie, though, it's a different story. She found herself thrusted into the public spotlight, which I believe has made her very nervous to be around us. Even after three years, she can still find the celebrity status overwhelming."   
Mona just smiled. "For someone like Angie, going from being unknown anywhere to being well-known by many can make anyone nervous. Still, she knows we'll be there for her. I just hope she hasn't forgotten about that."   
"Yeah…um, Mona, I'm sorry I made you upset when I—"   
"Apology accepted, Magician. You were only trying to find her, but you shouldn't hurt yourself in the process."   
The pair hugged each other very tightly, both of them silently praying for Angie's safe return. 

As for the kidnappers themselves, the sun had already set for the day, and they were both growing very tired.   
"Man, we need to get some sleep," said the driver.   
The passenger stated, "But…what about Jacobs here? We can't just leave her in the car."   
"Yeah, that's true. We need to find a place to stop for the night. Nothing fancy, just somewhere. What time you got?"   
"Almost 10:00 on my watch. It's 11:00 here, though."   
"Oh, yeah, time zones. Forgot about that." The driver looked around for the nearest place to spend the night. "Hey, there's something. It looks a bit run down…who cares? As long as it's a place to stop for the night. When we get in, we need to contact the boss about our present situation."   
"Cell phone or regular phone?"   
"Probably regular phone. The way this motel is, I don't think they track phone calls all too well. Let's turn in for the night here."   
They soon stopped at the run-down motel and came in with Angie on the passenger's shoulder.   
The driver noticed the motel owner. "Excuse me, um, sir?"   
The owner, an Hispanic gentleman with a mustache and beard awakened and said, "_¿Sí?_" ("Yes?")   
"Do…you…speak English?"   
"_No, no hablo inglés._" ("No, I don't speak English.")   
The driver then took out a wad of money. "We'd like to stay here for the night."   
The motel owner's eyes widened as he noticed about $250. "_Sí, sí._ (Yes, yes.) You…can." He tried so hard to speak English, yet it was very broken.   
"Mucho…I mean, _muchas gracias_ (thank you)."   
"_De nada._" ("You're welcome.")   
The two gentlemen took their captive into the rented room and gently lay her on the bed.   
"She looks so quiet," said the passenger.   
"Yeah, she does. Doesn't matter, though. We need to get through to the boss. I'll call him." 

Back in his secret laboratory, the mystery man heard his telephone ring. "Hello?"   
"Boss, it's me."   
"Oh. Where are both of you and Miss Jacobs right now?"   
"In a run-down hotel about 20 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona. We had to stop here for the night."   
"Guess all the excitement did wear you both down. How is Miss Jacobs?"   
"Sleeping like a baby right now. She's still out from that gas."   
"Well, that's nice and all, but I discovered you were both noticed on the security cameras in the DNA Club/Mall, and now everyone's on the lookout for the black sedan!"   
"Not anymore. We commandeered another vehicle and abandoned the other at a gas station."   
"You fool! They've already impounded that car and they may get the fingerprints to identify both of you soon enough! Tomorrow morning, leave at 5:00 in the morning and get to Phoenix. There's the high speed train that should get you to Amarillo, Texas, in less than a day. I've already set up your train tickets to Amarillo, and then plane tickets to get from there to here non-stop. Now, let's see if you guys can do this without getting into any more trouble."   
The driver of the car hesitated slightly. "Okay, boss. We'll leave for Phoenix in the morning…and we'll get her there, no problem."   
"There better not be…for your sake," said the mystery man as he placed the receiver back on its hold.   
The driver hung up the telephone at his end and looked at his partner nervously. "We won't be sleeping for long. We have to leave at 5 a.m. tomorrow for Phoenix. The boss already has train tickets waiting for us."   
"Ooh, sounds like he wasn't too pleased with us."   
"No, he wasn't. Never mind that, let's get some sleep. That gas should keep her out for the rest of the night."   
"Shouldn't one of us keep an eye on her, though?"   
"Nah, why worry? She won't wake up."   
The two gentlemen slept soundly in the chairs, despite the chairs being in such horrendous shape.   
An hour into their sleep, Angie was finally beginning to overcome the effects of that gas and slowly awakened after being out for a number of hours. Looking around, though, she realized she was nowhere near the DNA Mall. _What is this place?_ she thought in confusion. _It's definitely not Electro City, but where am I?_ She then closed her eyes and attempted to contact Ace telepathically. _Ace…Ace…it's me, Angie. Can you hear me? Please answer._   
She shook her head in discovering she was too far away to make the contact. _No good. I must be out of range. I need to find a way to get through to Ace. Question is how?_   
As she sat up, she noticed the two gentlemen sleeping in the chairs. _They must be the ones who kidnapped me. Let's see here…shoot, there's no light. I can't tell anything in the dark. This appears to be some kind of motel. The owner's office shouldn't be too far away from here._   
She quietly got herself out of the bed and placed the two pillows in a position to make them think it was her still in the bed.   
Next, she tried concentrating to use her magic to phase through the door, but her mind was still affected by the gas. _Won't work. Guess I'll just have to open the door the old-fashioned way…and hope it isn't squeaky._ She slowly opened the door, which only let out a small creak, not loud enough to awaken the kidnappers.   
After closing the door gently, she ran around to find the owner's office. "It's got to be here somewhere," she whispered. She then saw the sign "Main Office" and dashed for the door.   
Knocking on it as gently as possible, she tried to get the owner's attention. "Hello? Hello? I need some help, please."   
She started knocking harder, which finally got the owner to come to the door. "_¿Qué pasa?_" ("What is happening?") he said groggily as he opened the door.   
"Oh," said the female magician, realizing the language barrier. "_¿Usted no habla inglés?_" ("Sir, you don't speak English?")   
"_Oh, no, no hablo inglés. ¿Usted habla español?_" ("Oh, no, I don't speak English. Do you speak Spanish?")   
"_Sí, bastante bien._" ("Yes, pretty well.") Angie then asked the question that could possibly mean the difference between life and death. "_¿Usted tiene un telefono?_" ("Sir, do you have a telephone?")   
The owner nodded. "_Sí, tengo un telefono. ¿Está necesito?_" ("Yes, I have a telephone. Do you need it?")   
"_Sí. Mis amigas no son donde estoy. Dos hombres me sequestran. Me llamo Angela Jacobs._" ("Yes. My friends don't know where I am. Two men have kidnapped me. My name is Angela Jacobs.")   
"_Ah, puede usar el telefono._" ("Ah, you can use the telephone.")   
"_Muchas gracias, Señor._" ("Thank you very much, sir.")   
He let her inside the office so she could use the telephone to call her friends back home. Quickly dialing up the number, she frantically said, "Come on, Ace, answer, please." 

Back at the Magic Express, Mona had stayed with Ace, Cosmo, and Zina in the hopes they would get some kind of ransom demand call from the kidnappers and just to know if Angie was all right.   
Ace grew more anxious with every passing second. "The longer we wait, the worse things could be getting for her."   
Just then, the phone finally rang. "That must be it," said Cosmo. "The kidnappers are finally telling us what they want in exchange for Angie."   
Ace slowly picked up the telephone. "This is Ace Cooper."   
"Ace, it's me!"   
His eyes widened at the familiarity of the woman's voice on the other end. "Angie!"   
Mona and Cosmo reacted quickly and ran up to him.   
"Is she okay?" asked Cosmo with high anxiety.   
Mona added, "Where is she?"   
Ace put his hand over the speaker part of the phone. "Guys, hold it. She may not have a lot of time." He then returned his attention to the phone. "Angie, are you all right?"   
"For now, yeah, I'm okay."   
Ace then signaled for Cosmo to go to the computer room and get a possible trace on her telephone call. "Angie, listen to me. Do you have any idea who the kidnappers are?"   
"No. I don't remember anything since being gassed in the DNA Mall. I just woke up a few minutes ago. I could see them, but it's too dark for faces or hair. What should I do now?"   
"Well, do you have any idea where you are right now?"   
"No, but maybe I can ask the owner." She turned to him and asked, "_Con permiso, por favor, Señor. ¿Dónde estoy?_" ("Excuse me, please, sir. Where am I?")   
"_Está en Angell, Arizona, con dos 'Ls'._" ("You are in Angell, Arizona, with two 'Ls'.")   
She smiled and nodded at the gentleman, then returning to the phone. "I'm in a place called Angell, Arizona."   
"Hmm, don't know where that is," said Ace. "Guess the kidnappers didn't get as far as they wanted. They probably don't know you've escaped."   
"Ace, what do you want me to do? Stay here?"   
"Yes. Whatever you do, don't leave from the owner's office."   
"I'll stay. Please, just come and get me. I don't want to stay here for too long."   
The Magician did not need to sense anything with the fear in her voice. "It's going to be okay, Angie, I promise. I'll notify Vega and we'll come pick you up as soon as possible."   
"Thanks, Ace. I won't leave from this office until—" Her voice was suddenly muffled as someone put a napkin over her mouth, the napkin filled with a substance that would knock her out cold again. She soon fell to the ground and lost consciousness once more.   
Ace started becoming frantic. "Angie…Angie! Angie, are you there!?"   
One of the kidnappers grabbed the phone and ripped the line from the wall, creating an instant disconnection.   
The other, who had knocked out the owner with a nightstick, yelled at his partner. "Dummy! I told you one of us should have kept an eye on her. I'll inject her with another tranquilizer so she won't wake up for at least 14 hours."   
"Now we have to move. If she got through to that Magician, he has a system that could easily track us down."   
"We're not supposed to leave until 5:00, though."   
"We'll get _caught_ by 5:00 if we don't get a move on! Grab her and let's get to the car!"   
The partner took Angie and pulled her over his shoulder.   
They soon got to the car and immediately took off for Phoenix, Arizona. 

Ace slowly hung up the phone on his end. "The kidnappers got to Angie again."   
"Oh, no," said a very worried Mona. "They must've found out she was trying to get away."   
Just then, Cosmo entered the room. "Dude, I got a trace on Angie's call."   
"Good work, Cosmo. She said she was calling from Angell, Arizona. Let's get to the computer room. Mona, tell Vega we just got a call from Angie and explain the rest of the situation."   
Ace and Cosmo reached the computer room and quickly got Angel to work.   
"Angel," said Ace, "can you tell us the location of Angell, Arizona?"   
She soon put up a map of California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico on the screen. "Angell, Arizona, is located approximately 22 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona. The call came from a local motel in that area."   
"Good work, Angel. Now, could you possibly calculate where the kidnappers may be going next?"   
"Unfortunately, no. The only two reference points so far are Seligman, Arizona, and Angell, Arizona. I need at least four points to come up with a calculation."   
"Just like Multi-Flames when we had the rash of arson-related fires a few years ago."   
"So, what should we do now?"   
"Mona tells Vega, who in turn tells his friend Dan Simons in the FBI, who then puts out a bulletin about where Angie's been. They already have the new info on the stolen vehicle."   
A short time later, Vega returned to the Magic Express. "Angie was brave enough to at least tell us where she is, which helps a lot. Dan is dispatching FBI agents out to Angell, Arizona, particularly to that motel. I'm heading out there immediately."   
"Not without me, Vega," said Ace determinedly. "I'm going with you."   
"Ace, I don't know…"   
"Vega, I'm the only one who can help her with her emotional state. I _have_ to go with you in this case." Ace's voice almost broke. "Please, Vega. Let me come, for her sake."   
The lieutenant understood Ace's feelings in this situation, since Vega himself cared about Angie like a daughter he never had. "Okay, Ace, okay. You can come with me, but don't mess up the evidence or anything. Deal?"   
"Deal." He then turned to Cosmo and Mona. "Both of you, stay here and keep an eye on things. If we get any breaks in the case, we'll let you know. This way, we can add more reference points and possibly calculate where the kidnappers are trying to take Angie." He also bowed down to Zina. "Sorry, girl. You can't go with me on this trip. It'll be long and possibly dangerous for you."   
Zina discontentedly growled about his decision but understood it was for the best.   
Ace finally stood up and said, "Vega, let's move."   
Knowing only the Magic Racer was fast enough to handle the road, Ace and Vega both left in the turbo car to make their trip to Angell, Arizona, and find some clues to Angie's whereabouts…and possibly where she could be going. 


	3. The Wild Journey to Somewhere

Reveal the DARKNESS Within   
Part 3: The Wild Journey to Somewhere

Ace had received a telephone call from Angie in the middle of the night from a motel in Angell, Arizona. Unfortunately, the two men who kidnapped her were able to cut her off and take her again.   
Soon, he went with Lieutenant Vega in his Magic Racer to get to the scene in the small town, hoping to find some clue which would hopefully lead to Angie.   
The sun began to rise in the small town, but at least five sheriff's deputies and 14 FBI agents had already been dispatched to the local motel, where Angie had been last seen by the owner, who regained consciousness some hours after being knocked out with a nightstick by one of the kidnappers.   
The two men from Electro City found the scene of the action and pulled up to the motel.   
When they approached, they were stopped by an agent of Hispanic descent. "I'm sorry, this area is restricted."   
Vega quickly pulled out his badge. "Lieutenant Derek Vega, Electro City PD. Daniel Simons allowed me to get on this missing person case."   
"Oh, you're the friend of the head. Okay, but who is he?"   
"Him? You don't know Ace Cooper the Magician when you see him right here?"   
"_¡Ay, carumba!_ (Oh, my goodness!) My apologies, Mr. Cooper. I'm Agent Carlos Diego." After shaking hands with Ace, he added, "What brings you out here?"   
Ace breathed hard as he said, "I received a phone call from Angela Jacobs last night."   
"The missing magician? Oh, of course. She works alongside you. It's true. We checked the phone lines, and there was a call out to Electro City made by her from this motel. The owner has regained consciousness, but it seems the memories are a bit fuzzy."   
Vega stated, "Can we talk to him?"   
"I could. He only speaks Spanish."   
"Well, let's see if he can help us anyhow."   
The three gentlemen came up to the battered owner, who was bandaged over his head and arm. He suffered serious but non-life threatening injuries.   
Agent Diego came up to him very slowly. "_Hola, Señor. Necesito tu ayuda._" ("Hello, sir. I need your help.")   
The owner looked at the agent with dreary eyes. "_Oh, ¿dónde estoy? ¿Qué pasado?_" ("Oh, where am I? What's happening?")   
"_Señor, ¿puede acordarse la noche último?_" ("Sir, can you remember last night?")   
Slowly nodding his head, the owner did his best to recall what happened the night before. "_Una chica…vinó a la puerta…y queró usar el telefono a llamar sus amigas._"   
Diego turned to Vega and Ace to translate. "He says that a woman came to the door and wanted to use the phone to call her friends."   
"Can he tell what she looked like?" Ace asked curiously.   
"I'll try." The agent then turned to the owner once more. "_¿Puede describirse?_" ("Can you describe her?")   
"_Sí. Ojos…verde. El pelo es marrón ligero. La estatura es…cinco pies._"   
"According to him, she had green eyes and light brown hair…and stands at least five feet tall."   
Ace quickly said, "That's Angie all right. She has green eyes and light brown hair, and she's about five feet, four inches."   
"_Muchas gracias, Señor._" ("Thank you, sir.") Diego then stood up and looked at the gentlemen. "That's all he remembers. Everything after that is a blank, since he was knocked out cold by the nightstick. We still don't have a description of the kidnappers as of yet."   
The Magician put his face down. "It's okay, Agent Diego. I understand. The FBI is supposed to be the best, but they can do only so much…"   
"Don't worry, Mr. Cooper. Angela will be found, somehow, some way."   
"I appreciate you doing this."   
"We should be thanking Mr. Simons for this, since he's been working on this case from the get-go." 

Back in Washington the FBI's scientific team worked on the fingerprints to try to identify the men who abducted Angie.   
Meanwhile, Simons went into the Oval Office of the President. "Madam President? You wanted to see me?"   
Turning in her chair, President Elizan Donovan looked at her man-in-charge. "Yes, Mr. Simons. How goes the search for Angela Jacobs?"   
"We're getting lots of leads, but still no sign of the missing magician yet. We have gotten a break from a local motel in a small town about 20 miles east of Flagstaff, Arizona. When agents and authorities got there, though, the stolen car was already gone. Miss Jacobs did manage to get a call out to her friend Ace Cooper in Electro City, but the kidnappers got to her again with a substance to knock her out."   
Madam President shook her head in grave worry. "I pray that young woman will be all right. I met her in Electro City, along with her best friend Ashley Brighton, when I visited there with that conniving Senator Dobbs. They were pleasantly surprised to see a _female_ President of the United States…now the young lady's life may be in terrible danger. What is really strange about this situation is the fact Angie herself managed to get a call out to Mr. Cooper, then the kidnappers getting to her. I was expecting a ransom demand for her or something, but it never happened. It's like whoever abducted her have a purpose _other_ than money in mind. The question is…what is it?"   
"I wish I had an answer, Ma'am. Who knows? Perhaps the kidnappers are working for someone who wants Angie for some kind of strange purpose."   
Just then, a scientist knocked on the door. As soon as Simons let him in, the scientist noted, "We have the identity of the two kidnappers."   
Being handed the printouts of the profiles, he looked very carefully at them. "Well, well. I know both of these gentlemen. They've been on the Most Wanted List for about two years now."   
"Well," said Madam President, "who are they?"   
"Their names are Joey Ferrio and Larry Jameson. These two hit men are always hired for sophisticated kidnappings, and most victims are found dead. Whoever hired them wants Angela Jacobs _alive_. Why else would they just drug her with tranquilizers and not just kill her? The problem is, they're both good at disguising themselves and their victims. I wouldn't be surprised if they're trying to put her into a blonde wig or something."   
"Joey Ferrio and Larry Jameson. Very well, Mr. Simons. Put out the alert immediately for their capture. Whatever happens now, we have to find Angela Jacobs and get her back safely."   
"I'm getting on the horn right now. Thanks for authorizing this, Madam—"   
"No thanks necessary. We're all concerned for the safety of that young magician. Let's see if we can find her alive."   
Simons smiled with determination. "We'll do the best we can—no, better than the best we can." He then left the Oval Office and went back to work.   
President Donovan stepped to the window and stared into the open space. "Angela, wherever you are, I hope you're all right. Everyone in the country's concerned about you right now." 

As for Ferrio and Jameson, they had arrived in Phoenix almost three hours too early to catch the train to Amarillo, forcing them to take up their disguising. Jameson changed his hair from jet black to blonde while Ferrio went from being a blonde to a redhead, both of them using special hair dye. They were also able to change Angie's hair from light brown to the mix of blonde and brown known as "dirty blonde."   
Because no business in Phoenix was open past 1 a.m., there was no place they could go to eat any meal, especially since the train station would not open until 4:30.   
When the station finally opened, the kidnappers walked in with Angie in between, trying to make people pretend she was a mannequin.   
"Is this going to work?" asked Ferrio.   
Jameson whispered, "If you let me do the talking, yes."   
They came up to the ticket window and saw the attendant.   
"Excuse us," said Jameson. "We're looking for tickets going non-stop to Amarillo, Texas."   
"Oh, yes. Someone has paid for your tickets already. I just need to see some identification."   
The pair took out their phoney drivers' licenses and showed them to the attendant.   
After a close examination, the attendant nodded and gave the gentlemen their tickets. Then, he noticed the person in between. "Um, who…or what is that you're carrying?"   
"It's a mannequin," the disguised Ferrio said. "We couldn't take it apart because it's extremely delicate. It's the first of its kind for store displays."   
"Oh, okay. I'm sorry. You two can board the train to Amarillo right now and just wait for it to leave at 5:00."   
As soon as the clock struck 5, the train started taking off for its intended destination.   
In the parking lot of the train station, the parking valet looked at one car and noticed the license plate. "Hmm, Kansas plate…7T33RX2." He took out a flyer about the newly stolen car. "That's it! Dark-green sportscar!" He then ran into his office and quickly notified authorities. 

As the sun finally started to rise in Electro City, the people awakened to the news as they reported two major breaks in the case.   
Kendra Rayler had stayed at the Sensa-News Studios all night long, waiting on word from the FBI or local police to see if there were any new details in the case.   
In the early morning report, Rayler went on the air looking like she had not even lost a step. "Good morning, everyone. Our top story this morning is the continuing update on the whereabouts of missing female magician Angela Jacobs. The FBI has new vital information about the kidnappers themselves. We have Daniel Simons, head of the FBI in Washington, standing by." As soon as the screen changed to see the head on television, she said, "Mr. Simons, what is the information that you can pass on to us?"   
"Miss Rayler, we have confirmed the identities of the two men who kidnapped Angela Jacobs from Electro City yesterday. The scientific team were able to get fingerprints from the black sedan, and the men have been positively identified as Joey Ferrio and Larry Jameson, both members of the '10 Most Wanted List.'"   
"I recall them from previous stories I had done," noted Rayler. "They were responsible for the kidnapping and murder of at least six other people…hired hit men, right?"   
"Yes, that's correct. Their usual movements would be to use stealth and disguise to trap their victims and then take them somewhere to finish them off. However, there was another break: We do know the last place Angela Jacobs has been, thanks to her being able to use the phone in a local motel and get through to her friends back in Electro City. Her last known location was a small town called Angell, Arizona, located about 20 miles east of Flagstaff. Unfortunately, the kidnappers managed to get to her and leave in the stolen sportscar again."   
"So at the present, you still don't know exactly where she is, right?"   
"That's correct. Um, wait a minute. Can I stop for a minute? An agent just came up to me with something."   
"Of course. Folks, this could be another break. Hang on for a minute."   
After double-checking the notes, Simons nodded and turned back to the camera. "Miss Rayler, we just had another big break in the case. A parking valet at the train station in Phoenix found the stolen dark-green sportscar in the parking lot. The kidnappers have taken a train, but Ferrio and Jameson are probably in disguise and using phoney identification. They may have put Jacobs in disguise, too."   
"There's something I don't understand here. Why would the kidnappers try taking her cross-country and not just kill her?"   
"Before I answer, let me say this is only speculation, and we may be incorrect in this assumption. We believe someone hired the two men to kidnap her and keep her alive for a purpose _other_ than money. There has been no ransom demand made for her life, and she was the one who called her friends. Someone wants her for something non-related to money."   
"Okay. Now, we only have about 30 seconds left, and we need to put up the information about the two kidnappers. So, here's the information."   
The screen showed the vital statistics of Joey Ferrio along with his last mug shot:   
Name: Joseph (Joey) Lonnie Ferrio   
Age: 35   
Height: 6'3" Weight: 215 lbs.   
Eyes: Blue Hair: Blonde   
Distinguishable marks: Tattoo of "Mommy, I love you" on his left arm   
Wanted for: Kidnapping, Murder   
Then, Larry Jameson was shown next:   
Name: Larry Joe Jameson   
Age: 38   
Height: 6'5" Weight: 232 lbs.   
Eyes: Brown Hair: Black   
Distinguishable marks: Birthmark found on right side of face towards temple   
Wanted for: Kidnapping, Murder   
Rayler then said, "Folks, if you have seen either these gentlemen or Angela Jacobs, please notify local authorities immediately. Remember, they are good at disguises, but if you see their marks, don't be afraid to call the police or the secret witness line, where you can remain anonymous. Angela Jacobs is alive, but who knows what could happen next?" 

When Ace and Vega received word of the car being found in Phoenix and the identities of the kidnappers, they dashed off in the Magic Racer to head there immediately.   
"Another break," said Ace. "That's still only three points, though. We need one more reference point to figure out where Angie's going."   
"Perhaps we can get the break at the train station itself. Someone must've seen Angie or those two men."   
"If they're good at disguising themselves, it's possible no one noticed, but we'll just have to wait and see."   
A couple of hours later, they arrived at the train station, where police and the FBI cordoned off the area around the green sportscar.   
Another FBI agent recognized the pair immediately. "Lieutenant Vega, Mr. Cooper. We did find the car, but they took a train. To where we don't know yet. We're asking anyone who may have seen them or something suspicious."   
Ace and Vega then entered the station to see if they could find any new information.   
Vega then saw someone acting like he saw something but felt unsure. "Sir, are you okay?"   
"I don't know. I work in the office for the tickets, and there were two men holding a realistic mannequin. They showed me identification, and I gave them the tickets."   
Ace became suspicious. "A _realistic_ mannequin?"   
"Yes, but I didn't make anything of it. They said it was the first of its kind for store displays."   
Vega then questioned, "Did they say for what company?"   
"No. I guess they were taking it to a convention to demonstrate it."   
Ace then went back to his car to consult with Angel. "Do you know any companies that are trying to make realistic store-display mannequins?"   
After a few seconds, the AI gave its answer. "No. There are currently no companies known to demonstrate realistic mannequins."   
"Then the mannequin they had was…Angie!" He rushed back into the station to meet up with Vega again. "That 'realistic mannequin' was Angie. Ferrio and Jameson must have worn a disguise and put Angie into one, too." He then turned to the attendant. "Sir, do you have any idea where they're going?"   
"Their tickets were to Amarillo, Texas."   
Vega appreciated the information the attendant gave them. "We need to tell the agents here what's going on."   
As soon as agents got word from Ace and Vega, Ace contacted Cosmo to give him two more reference points.   
At the Magic Express Cosmo put Phoenix and Amarillo into the computer. "Okay, Angel. You've got four ref points. Can you estimate where Angie could end up going if we don't get to her in Amarillo?"   
Calculating as best as possible, she finally said, "There are three possible locations: Jacksonville, Florida; Washington, DC, and Boston, Massachusetts."   
"You can't narrow it down?"   
"I'm sorry, Cosmo, it's as best as I can calculate right now. If you can give me one more reference point, I could give the final calculation."   
"It's cool, Angel. Thanks anyway." He then contacted Ace via the satellite link. "Dude, it's either Jacksonville, Washington, or Boston. We need one last point to get the exact one."   
"Understandable, Cosmo. Vega and I are on the way to Amarillo now. He's notified Simons already, and the agents are working alongside the Texas Rangers. They're starting to set up road blocks everywhere in the city, and people are already being alerted to the situation. The main train station is on high alert and doing ID checks at every gate, so maybe we'll finally get them…and get Angie back before it's too late for her." 

Meanwhile, in the train, Ferrio and Jameson looked at their victim carefully.   
Ferrio was already worried. "She'll be waking up soon enough."   
"Not with this tranquilizer," said Jameson, who gave her another injection to ensure she would not awaken on their train trip. "I'm not about to let the boss get on our case. We've got to get her to him as quickly as possible. We need to reach Amarillo to get to that plane."   
Angie found herself sleeping deeply by the effects of the tranquilizer, but inside herself, she was struggling.   
_Hello, Angie,_ said the darker self lying deep within her own soul.   
Angie angrily thought, _You sure were quiet for a while. What happened?_   
_ Timing was not right. I mean, you've been kidnapped, right? You did get a call to your friends before these idiots got to you again. Right now, that's _not_ important. What is important is the fact you don't want to recognize me and accept me into your life. Why won't you understand I'm a part of you?_   
_ I don't believe you. Darkness is **never** going to be a part of me!_   
_ How dare you say that to me!_ the darker voice said wickedly. _You're still blinded by the light! The light will not be of any help to you right now or ever!_   
_ No! Darkness will always lose to the light! Always has, always will._   
_You won't listen to me! Darkness is an opposite of light, but it will prevail somehow!_   
Angie tried to react with magic but was unable with the drug affecting her badly. _Why are you doing this to me?_   
_ To make you understand that light and dark must co-exist. You've been running away from me for years, hoping you could forget all those painful and angry feelings and—_   
_ Stop it! Whatever you're doing to me will **not** work against me. I'll always be protected by light._   
_ I'll leave you alone for now, my dear Angela, but you can't escape me. I will come, and when it happens, you will be completely **powerless**!_ After letting out a horrifying laugh, the voice faded away.   
She returned to reality, still powerless to use her magic because of the strong effects of the tranquilizer.   
As for Jameson, he looked at their asleep victim. "She looks so close like an innocent child."   
"That may be sweet, but the boss needs her alive. I'm glad we packed all those tranquilizers. I just hope we can get to the plane in Amarillo fast enough."   
"Why do you think the boss bought tickets for this particular train? It's the fastest one to Amarillo. We'll get there, just be patient and relax."   
"Yeah, I guess. I'll turn on the radio."   
He did so and heard the news reports. "We have word from the FBI that the two kidnappers are on their way to Amarillo by train. Positively identified as Joey Ferrio and Larry Jameson, they abandoned their stolen dark-green sportscar and have taken a train towards Amarillo, Texas. The FBI and Texas Rangers are standing by in Amarillo to check everyone out."   
Ferrio quickly turned off the radio. "Shoot! Now what?"   
"Just relax. We're in disguise, and so is Jacobs. We'll get through with our licenses, easily. Remember, we're supposed to pick up the private plane. It'll be waiting in the hangar the boss had specified in the original plans. We mustn't fail."   
"I just need to calm down. I'm making myself nervous for no reason."   
"Understandable."   
The pair stayed very quiet for the remainder of the trip while Angie slept very soundly. 

Ace and Vega continued speeding their way through the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico, trying desperately to catch up with Ferrio, Jameson, and Angie.   
"I should have taken the Express!" Ace said in disgust. "I'd have a better chance of catching up with them and Angie!"   
"Ace, you need to calm yourself down. Your driving is going to get us into an accident. How about I drive for a while. You're starting to show signs of road rage."   
The Magician pulled over to the side of the road and sighed. "Maybe…I should let you drive. The words 'road rage' are very hard to hear, since—"   
"Oh, yeah. Angie's parents were road rage victims themselves. Still, Ace, last thing we need is to get hurt trying to locate Angie."   
"Yeah…I know. I'll let you drive the rest of the way to Amarillo. Is that all right with you?"   
"Sure. I wish you could make psychic contact with Angie."   
"Let me try that now and see if I'm close enough." He closed his eyes to concentrate. _Angie…Angie…can you hear me? It's Ace. Can you hear me?_   
Ace was only able to see darkness. "The kidnappers have about a 400 mile jump on us. She's just too far out of range."   
"It's okay, Ace. For now, the best thing to do is to try to get to Amarillo before we lose track of Angie."   
Vega started driving the car while Ace sat in the back seat, thinking so much about Angie. _Angie, just hang on. I'll find you. I promise with all my heart that I will not rest until you are found safe._

A couple of hours later, the train arrived at the station in Amarillo, Texas, and all passengers came off the train amid very high security. Everyone was checked, including the two passengers and their "mannequin."   
They soon found a taxi cab and paid beforehand to get to Amarillo National Airport.   
"So far, so good," said Ferrio. "We got past the security without a problem."   
"Sure, they were expecting two guys with blonde and black hair and a young lady with light brown hair. We're going to make it after all, even with the clues the FBI's been able to find on us."   
"Yeah, but they won't find us, not now, not ever."   
It did not take very long to reach the airport, and soon they were holding their "mannequin" victim. Since they were taking a private plane and not a commercial passenger jet, the only security check they had to go through was for identification. They easily explained their situation about the mannequin, allowing them to get straight through and go to the hangars for their private plane. Of course, they had to walk through the terminal with Angie to get there first.   
At almost the same time, a woman in her mid-30s with red hair and brown eyes was going through the security check point. She took everything metallic and placed it into the special basket, along with her badge and handgun, which did _not_ have any bullets. Even though she was a member of law enforcement, she knew the security measures at airports very well.   
The checker noticed her badge. "Ah, Des Moines, Iowa? What brings you here to Amarillo?"   
"I'm here for a conference about the advancement of women in law enforcement in the past 20 years. There are much more women in the field nowadays."   
"That's right. I heard that was taking place here. I have noticed a jump of women being in the FBI in the last couple of years alone."   
"Well, wait until they find out there's a _lieutenant_ at this conference." She just smiled.   
"Okay. You can take your things now, ma'am. Have a good stay in Texas."   
"Thank you. I am looking forward to this." She took her things from the basket and walked towards the luggage hold, since she was to be there for three days.   
She looked around at all the interesting people. _Hmm, it's my first trip to Texas, and I love it already,_ she thought happily. _So diverse, so interesting._ She then noticed a trio of guitar players. "That is some nice music. It's rarely heard back home."   
Walking through the terminal, though, she started developing the strangest feeling inside herself. _What's going on here? she thought. I seem to be sensing something wrong…either that, or my empathic powers must be losing it. There are so many people here in this terminal already._   
She sat down at an airport café and started keeping a close eye on the people. _There's someone here, someone I know. Who is it, though? Maybe I can use my powers to find out._   
Staring ahead, she concentrated with her own unique ability. Before too long, she started feeling a familiar heart. _I don't believe it! It's my friend Angela Jacobs, the female magician. She's the one who's been missing since yesterday from Electro City. I promised myself I would keep an eye on things on that case while I was here in Amarillo. Now it looks like I may be closer to her than I think._   
Controlling her breathing, she tried to contact Angie telepathically. \_Angie, can you hear me? It's Daria. I know you're here. Can you hear me?_\   
Despite the pair carrying her drugged self, Angie somehow heard the voice of someone she did know once before. _D-Daria? Daria Weinke? Is that you calling me…with the empathic power you have?_   
\_Yes, Angie, it's me. I'm here for a conference, but I sense you're very close to me. I'm going to try to do something to figure out where you are._\   
_Please…help me. I'm scared._   
\_Don't worry, Angie. I'll make sure you're okay._\   
Just then, she heard what was similar to Angie's voice, but much darker. _Hey, stay out of this, lady! This is between her and me!_   
\_Who are you?_\   
_I'm a part of Angie…a part she has denied for a long, long time now._   
\_I understand what you are. You are the darker side of Angela, a side she fears, right?_\   
_You seem to know a lot about me. How do you know her?_   
\_We met in Des Moines when she learned about her aunt, Rita Wisland, and the torturous relationship she was trapped in._\   
_Oh, yes, I do recall that. The light was angry at that man, Craig, for abusing her aunt. I think she still has anger in her heart. That's where I come into play. I am all those feelings she wants to deny having._   
\_The darkness…I understand. Right now, I just want to help her get away from the kidnappers and get her back to her friends in time._\   
_That's all you want to do?_   
\_Yes, but I am also concerned about you. Please, don't harm her._\   
_That's the one thing I hope I won't have to do to make her understand me, but if push comes to shove, I will take over her._   
Daria returned to reality and started walking around the terminal once again, all the while using her own powers to come closer to finding Angie and the kidnappers.   
Soon, she noticed two tall gentlemen carrying what looked like a mannequin towards the private hangars area. "Excuse me, gentlemen, but what is that?"   
"This?" answered Jameson, "is the latest creation. We're going to fly to Chicago tonight with our lifelike mannequin. Hopefully we'll be able to mass produce them in the near future, if we can get the approval of the board of trustees."   
"Oh, um, what company are you doing this for?"   
The two stared at each other just as Ferrio stated, "It's a new company, um, Mannequin Enterprises. We specialize in making mannequins for store displays."   
Although Daria could not recognize Angie with the hair, Daria's empathic signals were very strong. I_t's Angie! I'm not about to let them escape with her._ "Gentlemen, can I see some ID please?"   
Jameson was a little infuriated at the young woman. "Just who do you think you are!?"   
She took out her badge. "Lieutenant Daria Weinke, Des Moines Police Department. I know that 'mannequin' is really Angela Jacobs, and I know you two are Joey Ferrio and Larry Jameson. Now, let the young lady go immediately."   
"Um, ma'am, you must be mistaken," said Ferrio. "We really work for the company."   
"Nice try, Ferrio, but I can recognize the birthmark on Jameson's face."   
"What!?"   
"That's right, the one near the temple on the right side. Now, I suggest you let her go before I contact the local authorities here."   
"Lady, we don't know what you're talking about."   
She soon noticed a Texas Ranger walking by. "Sir," she yelled out, "sir!"   
The Ranger soon came up to her. "Is something wrong, Miss?"   
"Yes, there is. I'm Lieutenant Daria Weinke from the Des Moines, Iowa, Police Department. These two gentlemen are the kidnappers of Angela Jacobs. Take a look at the birthmark on the right side of the man on the left."   
He looked closely and determined it to be the right one. "Near the temple. That's Jameson all right." He soon took out his gun and held it in front of him. "Gentlemen, release Miss Jacobs immediately."   
Ferrio took something out of his pocket and said, "I don't think so." He threw down a small ball, which exploded on impact.   
As smoke covered the Ranger and lieutenant, the two men took off with Angie towards the private hangars.   
"Good work, Joey," said Jameson. "Now we can get to that plane."   
"Hangar 17 is where the plane should be. Let's get there before the cops and rangers find us!"   
Back inside the smoke finally cleared out, but the Ranger and Daria saw the two men vanished with Angie.   
"I'll notify all the other Rangers in the area." He then used his radio. "Attention all Texas Rangers. The kidnappers and Angela Jacobs are here at the airport, probably heading for the private hangars. Have all areas secured immediately!"   
Daria said, "We have to find them and fast."   
"But how? They got a good start on us."   
"Just leave it to me." She focused on one spot and concentrated her empathic abilities on Angie's heart. "They are running…for hangar number 17. That must be where their plane is."   
"How do you know that?"   
"Let's say I have a knack for knowing these things."   
The pair started running after the kidnappers in the hopes they could rescue Angie before they took off.   
As they reached the private hangars, the plane was already taking off.   
"Freeze!" yelled the pair at the same time.   
Other Texas Rangers approached in their cars to try to slow down the leer jet and stop it from getting into the air.   
As they came out of their cars with guns drawn, one of them yelled, "Be very careful! Angela Jacobs is in that plane!"   
In the plane, Angie wanted to do something, but she was too far drugged to be able to even move. _Damn! I have to do something to get out of this! This is driving me crazy, and my friends are probably worried sick!_   
The plane managed to get off without a scratch to its hull.   
Daria became frustrated. "We were so close! We almost got her back!"   
"It's okay, Lieutenant Weinke," said the Ranger, also feeling upset. "We can track the plane's movements with the control tower." He used his radio to contact the tower. "We need you to track the plane that just took off from Hangar 17. Can do?"   
"We're already tracking it now. It's moving towards the northeast."   
Inside the plane, though, Jameson, piloting the plane, motioned, "Quick, Joey, activate the stealth device the boss installed on this thing."   
As soon as Ferrio pushed a red button, the plane was still going, but the control tower lost it on radar.   
"Sorry, but the plane has some kind of stealth mode. We lost track of the plane. All we know is that it's moving towards the northeast."   
Daria was able to track Angie empathically. \_The tower's right. The plane is heading northeast…but where is the location? Angie, do you know?_\   
_No, I don't know. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry._   
\_Angie, don't blame yourself. Just don't give up._\   
The Ranger said, "What can we do now?"   
"Notify the authorities and the FBI. Angie's now on a plane."   
"You know her?"   
"Yes. I do know her…very well. I also know she's emotionally frightened right now because she's getting further away from those she holds close to her heart."   
"Poor thing. I don't blame her for being scared." 

Ace and Vega were entering the outskirts of Amarillo in the late afternoon hours when they received word from Simons about Angie leaving from the airport via plane, with the kidnappers still holding her hostage.   
"A Texas Ranger and a lieutenant from the Des Moines Police Department almost rescued Jacobs from the kidnappers," Simons noted, "but they managed to get away from the airport on a private leer jet. They were heading northeast before activating some stealth device, making them invisible to radar."   
Ace was surprised about the second person. "A lieutenant from the Des Moines Police Department? Is her name Daria Weinke?"   
"Yes. How did you know that?"   
"I met her in Des Moines a couple of years ago, when Angie's aunt was in trouble with an abusive boyfriend. What is she doing in Amarillo?"   
"It's a women's law enforcement conference. Weinke's scheduled to be the main speaker."   
"Thanks, Mr. Simons. That's a tremendous help. Is she at the airport now?"   
"Yes. She's already issued her statement to my agents, but she's waiting for you to show up."   
"We're on our way."   
Ace and Vega arrived at the airport and found a visibly upset Daria.   
"Daria?" said Ace as he approached.   
She looked up. "Ace. I'm sorry. We almost got her, but—"   
"It's okay, Daria. You tried your best, but those two were very clever."   
Vega then came up to the twosome. "Wait a minute…_you're_ Lieutenant Weinke?"   
"Yes, I am."   
Ace then made the proper introductions. "Vega, meet Lieutenant Daria Weinke from Des Moines. Daria, this is Lieutenant Derek Vega from Electro City's Police Department."   
Vega was very surprised. "Lieutenant Weinke…you're so young."   
"A good work ethic will always pay off. So, you're Ace's best friend, huh?"   
"He told you about me?"   
"Yes, and I have to say it's all been good. I'm just sorry the circumstances aren't as pleasant."   
"Me, too. I just wish we knew where Angie was going right now."   
"All I remember is the plane going northeast. If only I could use my astral powers."   
Vega looked at Ace and Daria in confusion. "_Astral_ powers? What are you talking about?"   
Daria stared at Vega. "I can sense your befuddlement about what I just said."   
Ace laughed and said, "Vega, don't spread this around, but Daria has both empathic and astral powers. She can feel others' emotions while she can also travel in the astral plane. However, her astral travel can leave her severely weakened, which means she won't be able to use that here."   
"Right. I don't use my astral ability unless it's absolutely necessary. I had to use it to locate Angie's aunt back in Des Moines before. Now, we may never be able to find Angie."   
Ace assured, "Don't be so sure, Daria. We may be able to use the information to get a trajectory as to where she could be going. Angel narrowed it down to Jacksonville, Washington, or Boston. Let's get to the Racer."   
All three went to the Magic Racer, where Ace contacted Cosmo and Mona back in Electro City. "Guys, we may be able to determine which of the three cities she may end up. The kidnappers' plane left Amarillo, Texas, heading northeast. Tell Angel to use that and calculate the closest location."   
"We're on it," said Mona. "Oh, and who's the young lady with you?"   
"This is Lieutenant Daria Weinke. Daria, Mona Malone, my girlfriend."   
"Oh, the Des Moines Police Lieutenant who was able to help Angie's aunt. Yes, I remember now. I'm sorry we're meeting in a serious situation."   
"I know, Miss Malone. Hopefully Angel will be able to get her location."   
Mona and Cosmo went to the computer room of the Express.   
Cosmo punched in the necessary information. "Angel, the plane has left Amarillo, Texas, going northeast. Calculate the closest location by their flight route."   
Taking about a minute, the AI came up with the calculation. "The destination closest on their present flight path will be…Washington, DC."   
All who had listened were surprised at the outcome.   
"Whoever wants Angie," said Ace, "is in the Washington area."   
"Right," said Mona, "but we still don't know who the person behind all this is."   
Vega stated, "I'll head to the phone to tell Dan what's happened now."   
As he left to call his friend, Ace and Daria had their own conversation, both able to feel each other's concern for their friend.   
"Daria, have you been doing okay? I mean, after your own run-in with Faceless when she teamed up with Craig Rutherford?"   
"Well, it's been a pretty hectic road getting back to normal. Faceless literally raped my mind and caused a lot of psychological damage to me that day. I am so grateful to my nephew Oriole and to the folks at Ashwood for helping me recover from the psychic nightmare that thief made me have."   
"Do you still get yourself treated?"   
"Because some psychological scars are still present, I go to Ashwood once every three months to make sure I'm doing okay. I may never be able to get rid of the damage completely, but at least Oriole and the others are there to help me at times when I feel…you know. Angie was very lucky not to suffer as badly as I did. I just hope…she's okay."   
"Daria, we're both worried about Angie. However, I also sense something else troubling you."   
"I heard this darker voice inside her. What was it?"   
"Angie has a darker side beginning to surface within her. Ever since the parole hearing in Mason City, she's been having a painful struggle with that shadow. The reason I'm on the case is I must find her before she suffers a magical disaster…one that could harm herself and possibly other people."   
"I understand. She won't accept the darker feelings in her own heart and soul. She must have left Mason City to escape those feelings, but they've almost caught up to her, haven't they?"   
"Yes. It's vital she's found before she inadvertently harms someone or herself. Vega's in on the case because Dan Simons is an old friend of his."   
"The head of the FBI? He sure has a powerful connection."   
"Only when it's necessary, and this time it is."   
Vega returned to the pair. "Ace, Dan's getting the information out now. In addition, he's sending a private jet of his own to pick us up and take us to Washington. Plane won't get here until later on tonight."   
"Plus it'll need refueling," Ace added.   
"I wish I could stay and help," said a sad Daria, "but I have to go to the conference. I'm sorry."   
Vega said, "Lieutenant Weinke, don't be sorry. What you tried to do was very courageous on your part. Go ahead and go to the conference."   
"Thank you, Lieutenant Vega. I hope you and Ace can find Angie safe and sound."   
As Daria started leaving, Ace sent her a thought. _Daria, will you be all right?_   
\_Physically, yes. Emotionally, not until Angie is safe. Please, find her and make sure she is okay. I'm more concerned about this building darkness._\   
_I know, Daria. Those of us closest to Angie are gravely concerned. We'll find her…somehow._   
\_Good luck, Magician. Godspeed on your journey._\   
"Thanks, Daria," he whispered. "Something tells me…we're going to need all the speed we can get." 


	4. True Intentions

Reveal the DARKNESS Within   
Part 4: True Intentions

Ace and Vega waited patiently in Amarillo National Airport for the special plane to arrive from Washington to pick them up.   
The two had arrived about three hours earlier in the Magic Racer in the hopes they would find Angie. Unfortunately, the kidnappers, identified as professional hit men Joey Ferrio and Larry Jameson, managed to escape with her in a private plane provided by their boss.   
Ace looked outside the window for the plane. "I wish Daria could help us right now," he said to himself, as he recalled the brave effort Lt. Weinke and a Texas Ranger used in almost rescuing Angie.   
_\No, Ace. If too many of us get involved in this, Angie's life could be placed in even greater danger. Besides, I'm still recovering from my own scars. I hope you're not upset with me.\_   
_ Of course not, Daria. It's important for you to get yourself to full strength both physically and emotionally. Perhaps the conference will do you some good in both aspects._   
_ \Thanks, Ace. Please, find Angie safely…and help her deal with her darkness.\_   
_ I will, Daria. I understand her situation very well. You take care of yourself._   
Vega walked up from behind the Magician. "Ace…you okay?"   
"Not really. I'm just…worried to death about Angie right now. I still can't sense anything out of her. The drug they're using on her won't let her basically do anything." He then put his face down with anxiety.   
Patting Ace's shoulder, Vega said, "We'll find Angie. Just don't give up on her. As long as you care enough, she knows you're looking for her. Whoever sent Ferrio and Jameson to kidnap her probably told them to keep her drugged to prevent her from doing any kind of movement, least of all be able to use her powers. We know it's not Faceless. She couldn't be anywhere near Washington, DC. Most people there would recognize Carlita Brighton in a hurry."   
"True. I hope that plane won't be too much longer, though."   
In the control tower, the air traffic controller received a call. "Um, control, this is private plane 23-FBI. I've been sent here to pick up two people for Daniel Simons."   
"Yes, sir. You're clear to land at runway four. Head to hangar 17 for refueling."   
"Roger that, control."   
Minutes later the plane had landed safely and made its way to the hangar for refueling.   
Ace and Vega went to the hangar to meet up with the pilot of the plane.   
After shaking hands with them, the pilot said, "Gentlemen, I was sent to pick you up by Mr. Simons. I'm sorry that refueling is only going to slow things down in terms of locating your missing friend."   
"I understand," said Ace with concern. It does slow things down seriously. _Angie, I hope you're all right…wherever you are._

In their special private jet, Ferrio and Jameson were in the cockpit while their prisoner lay sleeping in the passenger cabin.   
"Finally," said Jameson in relief. "We're on our way to Washington…and to the boss. I know he's been very anxious about getting her there safely."   
Ferrio let out a large breath. "Yeah, man. Just think of the big reward waiting for us when we get there!"   
"No kidding there, Joey. We're gonna be very wealthy after delivering her to the boss."   
In the passenger cabin Angie was asleep, the result of still being affected by the constant drugging she had to endure.   
She slowly began to awaken from her long sleep once more yet had no idea where she was. "Wh-where am I?" she whispered groggily. She got up from her seat and looked out the window. "What the—? What am I doing in the air? This must be…an airplane. Where are they taking me?"   
Angie tried to look around as best she could, but her vision grew blurry in the process. "I don't know what they're planning to do with me, but I'm going to get out of here now!"   
Doing her best to summon her inner strength, she tried so hard to summon her Magic Force. _Must concentrate…must feel it from within._   
_Don't even think about that, my dear Angela,_ spoke the darker voice from within. _You're so drugged you can't even concentrate._   
_ Shut up!_ Angie thought angrily. _I have to get out of here! My friends need me!_   
The darker voice chided with a chuckle. _Why do you bother? These guys were obviously hired by someone who knows that any drugs will keep you from using magic. You've been drugged for well over 24 hours now. Even if they stop administering the drug to you, you will still be too weak to use your magic._   
_ Just knock it off! I refuse to give in!_   
_ You're still completely blinded by the light. You won't understand that I am a part of you._   
_ Just stop it! I will find a way out of here and get back!_   
Her light blue aura started to glow but not as brightly as it normally would when she needed her powers. "Must focus…I can do this. I must overcome this!"   
In the cockpit, Ferrio and Jameson were calmly relaxing when they both suddenly heard screaming from the cabin.   
Jameson shouted, "Jacobs must be waking up again! Tranq her, quick!"   
Ferrio grabbed the tranquilizer gun and stormed into the passenger cabin. There, he saw Angie trying desperately to use her powers. "Come on, little girl, you don't wanna do anything you'll regret."   
Angie's eyes began to glow in blue out of sheer anger. "Me…regret? _You're_ the one who's gonna regret doing this to me!" As she focused to get her powers to come to light, her hands began to glow. "I want to go home…_now!_"   
Ferrio aimed very carefully for her right shoulder. _Gotta be careful, he thought to himself. If I miss her, the whole plane could go down on decompression alone by the dart cracking the window. I've got to aim this just right. The boss needs her alive…and we need the money._ Getting her shoulder into his sights, he was ready to fire.   
Angie, though, let out a wild blast of magic from her right hand. "I don't think so!" she said in delirium, a serious effect caused by the injected drug. "You will…not take me…alive!" Soon enough, another wild blast came from her left hand, which made a direct hit on the window instead of its intended target.   
Ferrio nearly jumped in panic because of the shot at the window. He sighed in relief, though, when the glass failed to crack. "It must be shatter-resistant glass," he whispered. "The boss took every precaution possible. Now, if I can just keep her from hitting me." He aimed the tranquilizer gun again for her shoulder. "Nap time, my friend."   
The female magician pushed herself harder in trying to use her powers. Her head had a split of pure pain, though, and she soon fell to her knees, clutched her head, and let out a bellowing scream of agony.   
The hit man saw his chance. _This is it, Joey, don't lose it now._ He made a direct aim and shot the tranquilizer dart directly into Angie's right shoulder. _Gotcha, sweetheart. Time to go to bed._   
She pulled the dart from her shoulder seconds before she slumped forward and fell to the ground, rendering her unconscious again.   
Ferrio took a deep breath and calmed himself. He quickly returned to the cockpit to join his partner. "She's asleep again…but she put up a hell of a fight back there."   
"The boss said to expect that from her," Jameson noted. "When's she's on emotions, watch out. We still got about two hours before we get to Washington. Stealth device still working?"   
"Yeah, it'll work all the way through. We just have to land at the specified location. Where was it again?"   
Jameson took out a map of the general area. "We land here, at this old airstrip about 15 miles west of the city. The boss said he'd meet us there about an hour after we arrived. The way everything's going now, we'll make it…and make it big!"   
"Right, Larry. We're gonna be millionaires!"   
"Yeah…I can see it now…we'll retire in the lap of luxury, thanks to this dame here."   
The two gentlemen laughed in a celebratory manner while Angie lay motionless in the passenger cabin, hope waning quickly for her as her shadow self whispered, _It's almost time, Angela. It's almost time. I will make you recognize my existence within you, and there will be **nothing** you can do about it. I am getting ever so closer to the surface, and my time will come very soon. You will see._   
_ No…I…I will not let you take over! I'll continue this fight, no matter what it takes!_   
_ You'll never learn, will you? At one point you'll become so weak you have no other choice._   
_ I won't weaken myself!_   
_ Ha, the drugs are doing the job for me. You're growing weaker by the second. Soon, the darkness will emerge! _ The darker self laughed wickedly as it knew how much closer it was to taking control of her inner self.   
_Ace,_ Angie thought weakly. _I can't let my dark side appear. If it does, I lose everything…I'll be alone again. I have to keep from allowing it to happen…no matter what._

Back at the hangar in Amarillo, the plane was finally done refueling.   
The pilot informed Ace and Vega. "Gentlemen, the plane's ready. Shall we get going?"   
"Yes, please," said a worried Ace. "Every second counts to rescue Angie before it's too late."   
The pilot got into the cockpit while the two others took their seats in the luxury cabin, which contained a complete home theater system, a closed-circuit communication system, and even a bar.   
Ace, never seeing a plane like this before, was in awe. "This is what they fly in?" he asked curiously.   
"Yeah. Dan uses planes like these to escort family members of prisoners and witnesses in high-profile cases to make the trip not so…nerve-racking. Unfortunately, I don't think any of these luxuries are going to help you calm down any."   
"No…they won't. Angie's emotional well-being—and her life—are at stake right now, and those hit men have a good three hour jump on us. I wouldn't be surprised if they're almost in Washington now."   
The pilot then walked in. "Gentlemen, we're about to leave now. I suggest you get buckled up. Take-off's usually the most uncomfortable part."   
Ace and Vega did so with no hesitation as the pilot returned to the cockpit.   
"Control, this is 23-FBI. Refueling complete and ready for take-off."   
In the control tower, the air traffic controller responded, "You are clear for take-off, 2-3. Use runway four, and good luck on your journey."   
"Thank you, tower."   
The plane needed very little time to be up in the air, and soon Ace and Vega were on their way to Washington in the hopes of finding Angie before her shadow self exploded from within.   
As soon as they were at a safe cruising altitude, Ace unbuckled from his seat and turned on the television.   
On it, there was the top news story and Kendra Rayler. "The whereabouts of female magician Angela Jacobs are narrowing down, according to the FBI. As you know, yesterday afternoon she was abducted from the mall part of the DNA Club by professional hit men Larry Jameson and Joey Ferrio. They have lead federal authorities on a chase that has gone nearly cross-country. However, thanks to efforts by the FBI and local authorities, we now know where Jacobs is going.   
"After being taken to Amarillo, Texas, she was taken by Jameson and Ferrio to a private plane. Despite their using some device to shield themselves from radar, authorities, with assistance from Ace Cooper's special computer system in his Magic Express home, have determined her final destination: Washington, DC. Authorities there have been notified to check all vehicles coming in and going out of the city. We don't know exactly where Jacobs or the two hit men are at this moment, but all law enforcement officials, including the Electro City PD, are watching everything going on right now."   
The news was reassuring, yet Ace knew there was far more to this situation than what most people really knew. _Yes…watching everything except the delicate situation taking place **within** Angie herself. It's better if only her closest friends know about this part. If too many people knew about her emotional struggle, she could accidentally attack someone approaching to help. We have to find her before she ends up harming someone or worse…herself, especially if her magic becomes that uncontrollable._   
Vega approached Ace with a glass of water. "Here, maybe this'll help some."   
Ace took the glass of water and used his magic to turn the water into milk. "Milk has the better soothing quality to me at this point."   
The lieutenant could understand Ace's concern all too well. "We'll find her, Ace. We know she's still alive because someone needs her for something. The kidnappers never gave a ransom demand or an ultimatum. Someone wants her for a particular purpose, and we need to know what that purpose is."   
"I guess so. Say, could I contact home from here on the plane?"   
"You should be able to without a problem."   
Ace activated the closed-circuit TV system to talk with Cosmo and Mona in the Magic Express. "We're on our way to Washington now, but Ferrio and Jameson have a huge start on us. It wouldn't surprise me if they're nearing Washington at this point."   
Mona sighed and responded, "With that stealth device on their plane, they're harder to track. How will you be able to find Angie, since she's out of range and continuously drugged?"   
"I have to keep trying, Mona. No matter what, I will not give up on finding her. Besides, she's also a walking time bomb with her shadowed self approaching from within her soul."   
"Well, hopefully Mr. Simons will be of help to you when you get there."   
"We're lucky Vega's good friends with him. Otherwise, we would never stand a chance of getting even this far in the search." 

In Washington Mr. Simons continued working hard on the case when he had a knock on the door. "Come in."   
Entering the office was none other than President Donovan. "Hello, Dan. How's the Angela Jacobs case going?"   
"Madam President, shouldn't you have your Secret Service agents with you?"   
"Dan, you worry too much. I know how to defend myself, too. Besides, the agents bring nothing but extra attention when it isn't needed."   
"I'm sorry. Anyway, we know she's coming here to Washington."   
"How did you determine that?"   
"Ace Cooper's special computer system Angel calculated the closest location on the plane's flight trajectory. This was the one."   
"Then, someone here is directly responsible for this, right?"   
"Yes, ma'am, I'm afraid so. This could be one _within_ the government itself. My question is, why would someone want her alive all this time?"   
"There are numbers of possibilities, but ransom is not one of them. I think someone wanted to kidnap her because of her magical powers."   
"President Donovan, you actually believe in magic?"   
"Dan, I've been a believer of magic since I was a child. I have admired the talents of Ace Cooper for years, along with the growing skills of Angela Jacobs. However, the kidnappers went after someone who isn't as skilled with magic as Mr. Cooper. He's undoubtedly the most powerful magician in the world, so why didn't they abduct him instead?"   
Simons made note of the President's point. "That's true. However, I don't believe in magic. I've never really seen what was so special about it."   
"Did you ever see magic when you were growing up?"   
"Nope. My family never did like watching magic, and I've always tried to debunk magic. I just don't believe there is such a thing as 'real magic.'"   
"You have no idea what you're missing. The whole idea behind magic is to make us all believe we're children again. As adults, we always forget what fun times we had as kids. We're only young once, and we should have some time as adults to have fun or spend time with family. Of course, it hasn't been easy for me since my husband died."   
"I'm sorry, Madam President. I guess for some, magic is what's needed to escape the doldrums and anxieties of the world. I just wish I had as strong a belief."   
"I shouldn't have brought up my husband again. I keep making myself sad when I think about Richard. I need to be trying to help in any way to find the female magician."   
"It's okay," said a reassured Simons. "Everyone in the country is worried about her right now. Just thinking about her safety is helpful. Besides, we've set up checkpoints all over the city. Anyone driving in will be subjected to vehicular searches by police. Both major airports are ready as well with heightened security measures in place."   
"That is some good news. And, how is reaction coming from the public here in Washington?"   
"Response has been pretty positive. Most people don't mind the extra security measures being taken. We've only had a few complaints from some visiting tourists, but now even they understand the importance of this situation. Believe me, we're ready for the kidnappers now."   
"Very well. Continue with your efforts, Dan. The whole country is going to be watching us."   
"I understand, Madam President. We're going to be under one incredible microscope." 

At District University in the early evening hours, a gentleman with brown hair and brown eyes was conducting an experiment in a laboratory. A group of college students watched him very closely.   
"As you can see, class," he said as he looked at his Bunsen burner with boiling beaker, "the viscosity of the oil can make a huge difference in the performance of an automobile. It's always been a problem when people push their cars to the limit."   
One of his students said, "Very interesting, Dr. Collins. Perhaps that's the reason why my younger brother has trouble with his car. He always likes to push it too hard."   
"Ah, then maybe you need to tell him you need to stop revving the engines so much."   
Everyone giggled with that comment.   
He then looked at his watch. "Well, class, that's all for today. Now, remember to look over your notes carefully because the midterm exam is next week. I don't want you to forget anything. I'll see you on Thursday for our next session, okay?"   
As the students left the room, Dr. Gregory Collins took off his lab coat and put on his trench coat. "Whew, it's chilly out this evening. Now, I have a little business to tend to."   
He walked out of the lab and towards his car in the parking lot. A couple of his colleagues waved at him, as he was going home for the day. "Hey, I'll treat you to lunch tomorrow, okay?"   
"Sure," said one of his co-workers. "Besides, you get that Science World Award this weekend. Guess you're treating us early, huh?"   
"Okay, I admit I shouldn't be celebrating too early, but I can't help it. I'll see you guys in the morning."   
He then took off in his car for his destination. "Okay, I've got to run an errand before I get home, so I'd better get a move on, since security measures have tightened up here in town." 

On the plane, Jameson noticed the airstrip. "We're gonna arrive there shortly. Joey, notify the boss that we're about to land."   
"Sure thing, Larry." He picked up the special phone and dialed the specific number.   
The voice on the other end spoke. "Hello?"   
"Boss, we're about to land at the airstrip you requested."   
"Very well, Mr. Ferrio. You and Jameson wait at the airstrip. I may have a slight delay in getting out there because of the increased security."   
"Increased security? You mean…they know we're coming to Washington?"   
"Yes. However, this time it's _not_ your fault. The Magician's blasted computer system was able to figure out a trajectory from the Amarillo airport just after you activated the stealth device. Now everybody knows you're heading here. That's also the reason I chose that particular airfield. No one's used it in so long, and nobody would even think about looking for the plane there, outside the city limits. In fact, no one knows you're still in the air thanks to my stealth device. When you land, put the plane into the old hangar and leave it."   
"And, what'll we do with the girl?"   
"There's an old farmhouse about 200 feet north of that airstrip. Both of you and the girl wait there until I arrive. We will discuss the matter of money once I get there. Understood?"   
Ferrio smiled wickedly. "Yes, sir. We'll land in less than three minutes."   
"Good. I will be there to pick all of you up in less than an hour."   
"Okay, we'll be ready here." He then hung up the phone. "Larry, he's talking about the dough already."   
Jameson chuckled. "Just imagine, Joey, one little girl here is going to give us the biggest pay day we could have ever hoped for!"   
"Yeah, man! I can't wait to start buying all the stuff I've always wanted, like that Porsche, or maybe a Ferrari—no, a Lamborghini!"   
"With what we'll get paid, Joey, we may as well buy all three and a whole lot more!"   
As the gentlemen laughed, Angie still lay motionless in the passenger cabin.   
Within her soul, though, was another story.   
_ In there, Angie struggled desperately to hold herself together. "I've got…to find a way out of this. My friends…I know they're worried to death about me right now. I can't…stay a prisoner like this. I have to…escape."_   
_ "There is **no** escape, Angela," said the darker voice, seemingly from everywhere around her. "The more you struggle, the more control you're giving me. It won't be much longer, my dear, sweet Angela."_   
_ Angie gasped in fear. "What do you want from me!?" she yelled._   
_ "I want recognition from you! Despite all the warnings, all the troubles, you **still** prefer to hide behind the light! Why do you always steer clear of the darkness? This is why you left Iowa altogether when you graduated from college, just so you can get away from me!"_   
_ The female magician's face was filled with dread. "No! I just wanted to find a place to start life anew, that's all I wanted!"_   
_ "You keep lying to yourself, Angela. After you were done with college at Iowa State, you just left the whole area behind because—"_   
_ "No! Please, I don't want to hear it! Just stop it! I'm begging you! Don't do this to me!"_   
_ "You're losing control, Angela. I can feel it inside of you. You're getting more frightened with each passing second, which adds more power to me, your shadow."_   
_ "You're lying! You can't be that powerful!"_   
_ "On the contrary, my dear. All the denial and fear you have of me gives me more power. As you continue losing control of yourself, I grow stronger."_   
_ Angie focused on her inner energy to get her magic to come to light. "I will **not** give in! The light will always prevail!"_   
_ The shadow laughed wickedly. "How foolish you are, Angela! Don't you understand what's happening to you?"_   
_ Angie wanted to use her magic very desperately, but her head started splitting in pain all over again, forcing her to clutch her head once more. "What's wrong with me!?"_   
_ "What else, my friend, you're still drugged. As long as that's the case, you're not going to be able to use the Magic Force at all. Boy, this is worse than what Faceless did to you before. Then again, she didn't drug you on a regular basis for a long period of time. Whoever wants you knows something even you don't."_   
_ "That…may be the case, but…I must keep fighting. That's what…Ace would want me to do."_   
_ "'That's what Ace would want me to do,'" mocked the shadow's voice. "Just knock it off, Angela! Ace isn't even here to help you! You're all alone this time! Ace can't help you, Mom and Dad can't help you, **no one** can help you!"_   
_** "STOP!"** Angie screamed in pain. "I will not give up! I am a fighter to the very end!"_   
_ "You won't be able to fight me away much longer, Angela. My time is quickly approaching, and soon I will take control and **make** you recognize me as a part of your being! You've run away from me for the last time, Angela Jacobs! You will acknowledge my existence one way or another!"_   
_ "I…said…I would keep fighting you, even if it meant…my own death…and I damn well meant it!"_   
_ "Very well, Angela. If a war is what you want, you've got yourself one now. You can bet, though, this is one you will lose because your light is slowly…burning…out."_   
_ "Never," Angie responded angrily. "You'll say anything to make me believe something so preposterous. My light will **never** go out, not as long as I have love in my heart!"_   
_ "That's your biggest problem, Angela. You may have love in your heart, but you **don't** love me. You have run away from me for so long, but your running will come to an abrupt halt soon enough!"_   
_ "If you think you're going to have an easy time with me, you'll find out just how wrong you are, jerk!"_   
_ "I will not be treated in that manner, Angela! You will respect me and acknowledge that I am a part of your being!"_   
_ The shadowed self was determined to win, but she had one strange thought._ Angela, I want to _help_ you, but I'm afraid you've left me no choice but to fight you for control. I _don't_ want you to die in this struggle. I just want you to understand your darkness. In the meantime, I still don't know who has kidnapped you from your friends. If push comes to shove, I will take control…and this could be your only hope…to live.   
Jameson carefully set the plane down on the old airfield and quickly drove it towards the abandoned hangar. Parking it perfectly inside the hangar, he and Ferrio grabbed Angie and took her off the plane. They ran as fast as they could to the battered farmhouse and took a rest there, waiting for the person behind it all to pick them up. 

In the special FBI plane, Ace and Vega were still a good couple of hours away from Washington. The bond between Ace and Angie was still not working as they were still a good 500 miles from the nation's capital.   
Ace looked out the window of the plane and saw nothing but the beautiful earth below. His mind, though, was not focused on the scenery. _Angie, I know you're not giving up. You're not a quitter. I just wish our bond could be stronger, though, so I can find you._   
Vega sat next to him. "Nice, isn't it?"   
"I guess so." Ace closed his eyes and tried to reach out to Angie again. _Angie, please respond to my thoughts. I know you're out there somewhere, and you're more than likely scared. Please, let me find you so I can help you with your emotional situation._ He started breathing hard again and gritted his teeth once more.   
"Ace, what are you doing?" Vega asked in concern. "You'll strain yourself out trying to reach her again."   
"If that's what it takes," he struggled to say, "I'll risk it!"   
Vega then took Ace by the arms and started shaking him violently. "Ace, snap out of it!"   
Suddenly awakening in a gasp, Ace breathed heavily. "I have to find her…I have to find Angie before it's too late!"   
"Take it easy, Ace!" Vega commanded sternly. "Good Lord, you're just like what you were the night you saved my life in that explosion…and the morning after that."   
Ace recalled that night as a teenager when he unleashed something very powerful from within himself to save Vega from an exploding bomb in a museum, along with the circumstances and consequences of not being able to control the gift he possessed. "I remember that all too well," he whispered.   
"Listen, Ace, I know you're very worried about the same thing happening to Angie as it happened to you that night. It's just that you shouldn't—"   
"Will you stop it, Vega?" the Magician snapped. "I already got the third degree from Mona back in Electro City."   
"Because Angie's the one that needs help right now. We don't need _two_ people getting seriously hurt, okay?"   
After a long sigh, Ace rubbed his head and stated, "You're right. Sorry, Vega. I didn't mean to get angry."   
"Hey, we've put up with each other for years. Law and magic don't always get along, you know."   
Ace had a light laugh with that comment. "True. I'm just…worrying myself sick because of Angie's potentially explosive situation."   
"I understand. It's like how I was with you the morning after you saved my life with your magic. You were so scared you created all those bubbles and accidentally shocked me."   
"Yeah, I remember that. Angie's in the same boat right now as I was all those years ago."   
"Hopefully we'll get close enough you can start tracking Angie telepathically. The clock is seriously ticking, though."   
"Right. How much longer to Washington?"   
"At the present speed about two more hours."   
"Let's just hope we can find Angie in time." 

At the farmhouse, Ferrio and Jameson waited patiently with their victim for the brains behind the operation to arrive.   
Ferrio sighed. "Man, she's so quiet."   
"Yeah. Good thing we picked up the trick about how to keep her from using her magic. Man, I can't believe he wants to capture a magician for an experiment."   
"Who would've thought he would want to use someone's magic for such a purpose?"   
"Only I would have, Mr. Ferrio," said a gentleman who stood at the door of the farmhouse. "Do you have Miss Jacobs?"   
"Right here, boss," replied Jameson. "Safe and sound, despite everything."   
"Yes, agreed. You two did get her here safely, so I will pay both of you nicely. How does…$10 million…_each_…sound to the two of you?"   
Jameson gasped in disbelief while Ferrio's eyes widened and jaw dropped in complete shock. "Ten…_million_?" they said in unison.   
"Yes, you heard me correctly. Ten _million_. All those grants I have will certainly be of help in paying you. Now, shall we take her to the hideout?"   
Jameson became slightly concerned. "What about the security measures?"   
"Don't worry about them, Mr. Jameson. I have a stealth device on my car, and there's a dirt road that turns into a paved road just outside the city limits. No one will see us coming into town. It'll be fine, I promise. Now, shall we get going?"   
Ferrio grabbed Angie and put her over his shoulder. "Yes, sir. Let's get out of here."   
"Right. Let's go."   
The three men and the still unconscious Angie went to the mastermind's car and quickly took off for his hideout.   
Quickly activating the stealth device, the mastermind of the operation made his car invisible to detection by radar or any means of identification.   
While driving across the dirt road, he said, "Gentlemen, despite the few failures that were involved, I have to hand it to both of you. You were able to get the young lady from Electro City to here in less than three days. She'll need some time to herself, though, when we reach our destination. Fortunately, I have just the place for her to feel comfortable."   
"But, boss," said Jameson, "She fought Joey pretty well, despite being drugged and all."   
"I know. She won't struggle with me, though. She hasn't eaten any food in the last 2 ½ days, so I have a good idea she'll be desperately hungry…hungry enough to cooperate with me and my experiment. I've waited a long time for this chance."   
Ferrio and Jameson looked at each other in confusion but decided not to question their boss's motives, considering they were about to become very wealthy.   
The organizer of the scheme then said, "We're about to enter the city now. We'll get to the hideout in less than 30 minutes."   
Soon enough, they made it to the gentleman's hideout, a surprisingly cozy home in the suburbs of Washington. Parking the car in the carport, he turned off his stealth device.   
"We're here, boys. Now, take Miss Jacobs and follow me."   
The three gentlemen entered the home of the man who planned it all, with Angie still lying unconscious while being carried by Ferrio. 

In the special FBI plane, Ace just sat and twiddled his thumbs, his mind in constant concern for Angie's safety and emotional state. Fortunately, his psychic bond with Angie began to come alive when they started coming within the necessary 300-mile range. "Vega, how far are we now?"   
"We're about 290 miles from DC. Why, are you starting to sense Angie?"   
"Yes, I am." Closing his eyes to concentrate, he still could not see anything but swirls in her mind. "I can't see her yet…and the feeling is…very weak right now. It will get stronger as we get closer to Washington. I just hope we can find her before her shadow completely takes over."   
Vega used the communication system to make contact with his old academy friend. "Dan?"   
"Derek, we've got every security measure in Washington going right now, including at both airports. I'm going to meet you at Dulles International in the special hangar when the plane lands. I'll be waiting for you and Mr. Cooper."   
"Dan, are you sure it's all right for us to get involved in this?"   
"Let me put it this way: Has Angie ever been in Washington before?"   
"I don't think so. She said she's never been anywhere east of Chicago."   
"Then, she doesn't know _anyone_ here. She's completely alone right now. It'll be better for you both to come so she'll have friends to recognize."   
"You're right. We'll be there in the next hour."   
"Fine, Derek. However, someone else insisted on getting involved in this case."   
"Captain Friedrichs!?"   
"Nope. I'll tell you who it is when you get here."   
"I understand, Dan. I'll see you at Dulles."   
As the plane quickly approached Washington, Ace's telepathic bond increased in strength. _ I'm getting closer, Angie. Just hang on. I know you need emotional help right now, and I'll find you so you won't have to deal with it alone._

Inside the mastermind's home, he told Ferrio and Jameson to lay her gently on a small but seemingly comfortable bed and leave her there.   
As soon as the pair walked away, the mastermind himself closed and locked the cell door. Then, he joined the two hit men in the living room.   
He then grabbed two suitcases from the closet and gave each one to the two men. "Open the suitcases, gentlemen."   
They did as told and became very shocked.   
"Oh, my…God," said Jameson with widened eyes.   
Ferrio whispered, "Damn!"   
"As I promised…$10 million for each of you. Unfortunately, you can't spend it right now because you're being hunted by authorities everywhere. I suggest you both stay here for a while and get acquainted. Meanwhile, I'm going to get myself acquainted with Miss Angela Jacobs. I'll see you both later."   
He then stood up and walked in the direction of his library again.   
As for Ferrio and Jameson, they took some of their money out of the suitcases and started counting the money.   
"Hey, Larry, how long do you think it'll take for us to count the whole ten million?"   
"About a year or so, but who cares? We're rich!"   
"Then, how come we can't spend the money now?"   
"You goofball! If we're seen in public, the authorities could catch us, and then it would lead to the boss! We gotta lay low right now."   
"Yeah, I know. I can't stand being cooped up, though."   
"You'd better get the hang of it, Joey. We've got to stay here until the coast is clear…which could take months."   
"Okay, whatever." 

At about 10 p.m., the special plane finally landed at Dulles International Airport and quickly went to its private hangar.   
In a matter of minutes, Ace and Vega were off the plane.   
Soon enough, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigations met up with them. "Lieutenant Vega, Mr. Cooper, welcome to Washington, DC…I'm just sorry it's not under pleasant circumstances."   
Vega shook his old friend's hand. "I know, Dan. We know Angie's somewhere here in the city, but _where_ is the question right now."   
"Well, remember when I said we've got some extra help on this case?"   
"Yeah. Who is it?"   
A woman walked up to the gentlemen out of the shadows. "I'm going to assist on this case, Lieutenant Vega."   
Ace gasped, "Madam President?"   
"Yes, Mr. Cooper."   
The Magician graciously shook the hand of the President of the United States. "I am very grateful that you wish to help us find Angie."   
"I know what a special young woman she is. Believe me, whoever is responsible for kidnapping Angela Jacobs will suffer consequences to the fullest extent of the law."   
Vega could not believe the other person willing to assist.   
Simons said, "Derek, she insisted on helping us. She said she met Angie in Electro City a couple of years ago."   
"That's…that's great she's wanting to give us a hand. But, shouldn't she have Secret Service agents around?"   
Madam President heard Vega's words. "Lieutenant, I don't need them with three men already here. The three of you." She then noticed Ace standing alone. "Mr. Cooper, are you okay?"   
"She's here," Ace whispered. "Angie is somewhere here in Washington…I can _feel_ it."   
Simons looked at Vega in confusion. "There's no way Miss Jacobs could get past any of the checkpoints."   
"Unless," said Vega, "the brains behind this has enough scientific knowledge to beat every security checkpoint in and around the area."   
"Certainly possible. But, how can Cooper feel—"   
"Dan, I know you _don't_ believe in magic, but I've known Ace Cooper nearly 18 years now. He's got real magic, and so does Angie. Besides, there's more to this than a lot of people know."   
"Wait, Derek. It's getting late."   
"What about Angie? She may not have time."   
"The person behind this whole operation wanted her for a reason, Derek. She's needed alive. Otherwise, Ferrio and Jameson would have finished her off already."   
Soon, Simons and Vega both came up to Ace and President Donovan.   
"It's late," said Simons, "and both of you have had a long and very tiring journey. We'll start looking for Angie in the morning. The kidnapper wants her alive, so she won't be harmed right away."   
After a heavy sigh, Ace agreed. "True. Someone kidnapped her for her powers, not for ransom. I just hope she's all right."   
President Donovan tried to comfort him. "Mr. Cooper, have faith and hope. We know Angie's somewhere in the area. We'll keep looking non-stop if we have to, but you can't do it without some rest. You've gone almost 48 hours without any sleep. It won't do you any good."   
"Thanks, Madam President. You're right…I need some rest. I've been putting too much pressure on myself lately. So, um, where do we rest?"   
Simons replied, "We'll rest at my place. It's just a few blocks from here."   
All four entered Simons' car and took off for a place to get some much-needed sleep, as their strength was needed to start combing the entire city for Angie.   
In the car, Ace was already starting to fall asleep when he mysteriously heard a different voice in his mind. _Angie is here, Ace,>_ said the male voice. _However, you must find her quickly, for the darkness is approaching. She will be too weak to fight it away much longer.>_   
_ That's not my conscience,_ Ace thought. _I—of course. He's been here all this time. He's known about Angie's emotional well-being…perhaps even longer than I have._

Meanwhile, Angie lay in her little bed, sleeping soundly.   
The man in charge of the entire plan looked into the cell with pleasure. "Ah, the female magician…Angela Jacobs. She's so beautiful, so charming, yet…so powerful, so emotionally driven. She's just what I need…for my greatest experiment ever. I've waited for a long time to test my theories about the power of magic as a weapon. At last, I'll have the chance to try it out, and Angela Jacobs will share a place in history with me!"   
The madman laughed wickedly as he was determined to understand Angie's powers…and harness them into a powerful device which could possibly harm others… 


	5. The Darkness Explosion

Reveal the DARKNESS Within   
Part 5: The Darkness Explosion

As the clock struck 6 a.m. in Washington, DC, one house was already stirring as four people were ready to leave with a mission in mind.   
Ace Cooper had been unable to sleep all night long because his psychic bond with Angie was very strong, yet he was unable to find her with the effects of the drugs given to her by the kidnappers. Already dressed half-an-hour earlier, he was determined to search every inch of the nation's capital to find Angie before her buried feelings of pain and anger would explode, possibly harming other people…and herself even more.   
Daniel Simons, head of the FBI, allowed Ace and Lt. Vega, an old friend of his during their days in the police academy, to say at his home the previous evening to let them rest.   
Madam President Elizan Donovan was also assisting in the search for the missing female magician. Like Ace, she worried more for Angie's emotional state and prayed she and the others could find Angie before the explosion occurred.   
As they were ready to leave, Madam President saw Ace stare off into space again. "Mr. Cooper, are you all right?"   
"Angie," he whispered, "I'll find you. I won't give up until you're found safe. I will help you with your inner battle."   
"Can you still sense her?"   
He looked at the President sadly. "Yes, I can, but I can't see her. She desperately needs help, and I can't just give up on her. If her anger explodes…I'm scared to even think about it."   
"I understand, Mr. Cooper."   
"It's okay, Madam President, to just call me Ace."   
Simons was still very skeptical about the magic. "Derek, it's just not possible for two people, not related by blood in any way, to have some strange connection to each other."   
"When you've known one magician almost 20 years and the other nearly three, it's easy to tell. They both have _real_ magic, Dan. Ace used it to save my life a long time ago." Vega then explained that situation to his old friend.   
"That's…incredible," Simons said in awe. "So, Cooper had worked under crime boss Jack Malone as a teenager?"   
"Right. That night changed both of us forever, since Ace was frightened of his own abilities at the time. Angie's the same way right now, just trying to hold back her own feelings of anger and pain."   
"From…the loss of her parents in that road rage accident?"   
"Yeah, and who knows what else, especially growing up, still having some fears about her powers, and her sudden celebrity status."   
Ace and the President came up to the old friends.   
"Gentlemen," said President Donovan, "we need to start searching now. Washington is a big city, and it won't be easy finding her in a population of 5 million."   
Simons nodded in agreement. "The sooner we can find Miss Jacobs, the better. Who knows what the kidnapper is doing to her at this point?"   
Ace had his concerns about the kidnapper's intentions, but he knew better. _Whoever kidnapped her is in for a bad time…especially if her darkness reaches the surface. I have to find her at all costs before it's too late._   
The Magician, Vega, Simons, and Madam President all got into Simons's car and immediately left his home to begin the long and harrowing search for Angela Jacobs…all praying she would be all right _if_ and when she was found. 

Back in the secret area, Angie finally awakened and groaned with a big headache. "What the—? What…what happened to me? Where am I?"   
"So, Angela Jacobs," said a male voice, "you're finally waking up after so long."   
She slowly opened her eyes and looked around. Swerving her head frontward, she saw bars. "I'm in…jail?"   
"No, my dear," he replied. "You're not in jail. You've done nothing wrong."   
Angie suddenly jumped up from her unique bed. "Who are you? What do you want with me!?" The pain in her head struck sharply, making her grunt in throbbing pain.   
The man said, "Take it easy, Angela. Those drugs they put into you are still having a pretty good effect on you, and it won't help to use any magic."   
After the pain lulled slightly, she looked up. "You…know I can do magic?"   
"Yes, I do. I know you haven't been using your magic at its peak, either. That's why you're here. I've been watching you closely for nearly three years…ever since you joined up with Ace Cooper, the Magician."   
Angie's breathing was a clear indication of the fear in her eyes. "So what? He let me have a home, and he's been teaching me the basics of magic."   
"Nice try, Miss Jacobs," he said, his voice cold with anger, "but I know you're far stronger with your powers than you're telling me. After all, didn't you use your powers to take down Darlena Lowland and Mark Willoughby just weeks ago?"   
"So I did. That was on the news."   
"I know more about you than you think, Miss Jacobs. I said I've been watching you for nearly three years. However, I've known you were something special…for almost _five_ years."   
"What…are you talking about?"   
"You were a senior at Iowa State University five years ago, weren't you?"   
"What does that have to do with anything?" the female magician asked angrily.   
"In this case, everything. I recall a magic show at that time, with Ace Cooper attempting to break that water immersion world record."   
"That was the…first time I saw him on television. I still don't understand."   
"Well, when the laser cut the rod two seconds too early, it didn't look like he would make it out alive. Unbeknownst to Mr. Cooper, though, it seemed he had received help to escape."   
"From whom?"   
"Possibly…you."   
"What!? That's not possible! I was in Iowa while he was in Electro City! How could I have helped him out?"   
"My office at the time was across from the Segal Dormitory, where you were staying. Just when things looked hopeless for him, I noticed a blue light coming from that dorm. Using my binoculars, I saw you praying for Cooper's safety. You were glowing as bright as the old neon signs of the mid-20th Century. He managed to escape just in time, and I suspect that escape and your glowing are far more than sheer coincidence. I believe you used your own powers to help him break out."   
Angie was shocked at what the man had said. "No…that can't be true."   
"My dear, I know how strong your powers really are, even though you won't use them at their peak. If you did, you could inflict so much damage. That's why I need you, sweetheart. You're just the perfect tool I need in my experiment."   
"Experiment? You…you're a scientist?"   
The man behind Angie's kidnapping walked into the dim spotlight, revealing his brown eyes and brown hair. "That's right, my dear. Permit me to introduce myself, I'm—"   
"No…it can't be," she said in shock. "I know who you are. You're…Dr. Gregory Collins!"   
"Oh, you've heard of me?"   
"Y-yes. You were helping grad students with the energy crisis situation when I was a senior at Iowa State. You're also supposed to receive the Science World Award this weekend."   
"You know about that, too, huh? Well, I am to get the award for recent work on biochemistry and the environment. I only wish I could have done so for _this_ experiment…magic as a defensive weapon."   
"My powers…a weapon!? We'll see about that, Doctor!" She ran towards the cell door in a fit of anger.   
Touching the bars, though, she received an electrical shock! **_"AHHHHH!"_** she screamed.   
When she let go, she fell backwards and landed hard on the ground.   
Dr. Collins shook his head. "Ah, ah, ah, Miss Jacobs. You touch those bars, and you get a 2,000-volt shock to your system. I could make it worse, but I need you alive."   
The female magician slowly got back to her feet. She stared at him with cold eyes and said, "You're…never going to get away with this. My friends will find me."   
"How are they going to do that when _you_ don't even know where you are?" He chuckled with callousness. "You won't be going anywhere for quite some time. Get used to your surroundings, as this is where you'll be staying."   
"And just…how long is that going to be?"   
"As long as I need in order to understand and perhaps tap into the magical power within you. Think of the people we could protect, the enemies we could eliminate. You're famous already…you may become even more famous as a result of this! You'll become wealthier than ever before, you'll become—"   
"Shut up!" Angie shouted. "I want nothing to do with this! I am _not_ going to use my powers to help you with your sick plans!"   
"In case you haven't noticed, Angela, you don't have much of a choice at the moment. I know you're probably getting very hungry. Water is more important than food, though, so there is a sink in your cell to provide you with water. It is clean, as I have a purification system in my home. You're entitled to water, but no food until you decide you will cooperate with me."   
"You know that's blackmail, don't you?"   
"Maybe, but I don't think you're going to last too long without some food in your stomach. When desperation time comes, you'll finally decide to cooperate. If you do so, you'll get a seven-course meal. As for me, I'll get the long-overdue experiment I wanted to do for so long." He then looked at his watch. "Well, time for me to go to work. I'll be home by dinner time. By then, you'll probably have decided that you'll cooperate with me in my experiment. Enjoy your stay, Miss Jacobs. I'll see you this evening." He then walked back into the dark, making sure Angie was unable to see just where he was going.   
Angie sat on her lonely bed, as she started wondering _if_ she would ever be able to see her friends again. As tears began to fall, she whispered, "Ace, where are you?"   
_ Not anywhere close to here,_ responded the voice of her shadowed self. _Face it, Angela, you're all alone, with no one to help you. You'll have to succumb to me soon enough._   
"Never!" she said angrily. "I am _not_ alone!"   
_Sure, keep saying that to yourself. Your constant denial is adding more fuel to my fire. It won't be long now._ The darker voice chuckled coldly. _The darkness will take over soon enough, and you will not be able to stop me._   
"No," Angie stated in a trembling whisper. "I can't…I won't let you take me over."   
_Another two to three hours of denial, and I will finally come. You can't escape me anymore, Angela Jacobs. You've buried me far too long and wanted to deny that I am a part of you. No more, dear Angela. You will not reject my existence any longer._   
"No…please," she pleaded. "I can't fall into the dark. If I do, I'll be alone again…completely alone."   
The darker shadow hid her thoughts…thoughts of concern. _Angela, the darkness will not let you be alone. Why do you keep thinking like this? Why do you think the worst will happen if your anger and pain surface? How can I get you to understand? I wish I didn't have to do this, but it's now our only hope for survival against this madman. Dr. Collins is_ not _the noble scientist people have made him out to be. No one can physically help at this point. Your only hope now is to trust in me. Please, Angela, for our sake and survival, you've got to let me come to the surface._   
Angie held her hands to the sides of her head as she cried very hard. Her heart felt nothing but pain and agony, and it would not be too much longer before her light would be eclipsed.   
As Dr. Collins entered the living room to see Ferrio and Jameson watch television, he said, "Boys, I'm going to work now. I have some real research to do for my class on Thursday. Check on Miss Jacobs about every half-an-hour and make sure she's all right. However, I do _not_ want you to give her any food. She only gets food when she agrees to work with me on my experiment. Is that understood?"   
"Sure thing, boss," said Ferrio. "We'll keep close tabs on her."   
"At least she's in a cell where there's no way for her to escape…not like that motel in Arizona when you two fell asleep. Remember, do not give her any food. If anything does happen, call me immediately."   
Jameson gulped in a little fear. "Y-yes, sir."   
Dr. Collins then entered his car and left for his job at District University. "By tonight," he said to himself, "I'll be conducting the most fantastic experiment ever known…magic as a powerful weapon against our enemies." 

The sun was rising while Ace and the others were well active in their search for Angie.   
In Simons's car, Ace concentrated with his heart to find Angie. "Still nothing," Ace said in frustration. "I _know_ Angie's here. Why is it I can't find her?"   
Vega answered, "Maybe the drugs have affected her so badly you can't even locate her heart right now."   
"No…I can feel pain and agony in her heart, but I can't get a location out of it."   
Simons drove the car trying to follow Ace's directions as best he could. Suddenly, he noticed something in a tree: a snowy owl. "Wha—?" He started concentrating more on the bird…and less on the road.   
Madam President then shouted, "Dan, brakes!"   
Simons quickly slammed on the brakes, only inches away from hitting a taxi cab.   
Vega became flustered. "Damn it, Dan! What are you trying to do, kill us?"   
"Take it easy, Derek! I saw something a minute ago."   
"Something that made you take your eyes off the road!? What in the world could get your attention?"   
"It was…an owl, a white owl."   
President Donovan looked at him. "A white owl? How can that be? You can't find any type of owl loose here in Washington. The only owls around here are at the National Zoo."   
Ace suddenly realized something the others were not able to grasp. _That's no ordinary white owl. He knows what's happening._ He then made telepathic contact with the owl. _Can you hear me?_   
_Yes,>_ replied the voice. _Ace, listen to me very carefully. Angela's time is running out fast. Give or take another two hours, and her darkness will get complete control. The denial adds more power to her shadow. It will soon become a dangerous situation for herself and others.>_   
_ Have you been able to locate her yet?_   
_ No, I have had no success in finding your friend. Besides, whatever happens from this point, she must deal with it…alone.>_   
_ I can't let her,_ Ace thought fearfully. _She could—_   
_ Magician, you have faced your darker feelings before…and alone, have you not?>_   
_ Yes…I have. She must be found, though._   
_ I know. It will not be easy. Her shadow has somehow found a way to block both you and me from locating her. I do know she is somewhere within this area. Exactly where I cannot determine.>_   
_ I am having trouble myself, but I won't rest or give up._   
_ That is the reassurance needed right now, Ace. I will keep looking from my end while you do it from yours. And…my apologies for nearly causing the accident with Derek Vega's friend.>_   
_ You managed to get Simons's attention, though, so it may be of some help. Thank you._   
Vega looked at Ace strangely. "You okay?"   
"I'm fine, Derek," he answered sternly. "It's Angie that must be found as soon as possible. I can feel her darkness inching closer. The moment it surfaces…she'll be in serious danger."   
The driver of the car in front of them was Dr. Collins himself. He considered turning around but then gasped at who the passengers were. _The Magician, the President, and the head of the FBI in the same car!? They're all looking for that female magician, but they'll _never _find her, not as long as I'm holding her. I'll just act nonchalant about it._   
When the light turned green, Dr. Collins moved on ahead to get to work while Simons and the others made a right turn.   
"Listen," said Simons. "We're getting nowhere fast. I say we need to head to the office and try to figure things out there. We've got to look at a map of the entire city and determine possible places Angela could be hiding at."   
Vega agreed with him. "Yeah, we need to work out some kind of strategy to locate her, Ferrio, Jameson, and the person behind this whole thing."   
Ace felt very uncomfortable about their idea, but in the interest of locating her easier, he reluctantly concurred with their plan. "Very well. Let's move. Every second we lose equals more danger for Angie." _And her inner soul._

Angie herself attempted desperately to summon the Magic Force within herself to escape from her prison. "It's my only hope. I've got to try."   
She closed her eyes and focused into her soul to call its power forth. "I can do this," she whispered. After taking some deep breaths, she shouted, **_"Magic Force…reveal the power within!"_**   
Her head began splitting in pain once more as her aura did not glow so brightly. The transformation proved unsuccessful. "No…I can't call on my power. Why?"   
_Angela, you fool,_ said the shadow self, _why are you trying to call the Magic Force forward? You can't do it because those drugs are still affecting you, even though you haven't been given any for quite some time now._   
_ Don't you understand? I have to get out of here! My friends—_   
_Are nowhere to be found, little girl. **You're** the one who will not understand. There's no one here! You'll have to give in soon._   
_ No! I won't give in to that mad doctor's demands!_   
_ Who said anything about_ him_? I'm talking about_ me_. The time for my arrival is at hand._   
Angie then took some cups of water to help her parched throat and opted to lie down on her bed to try to get her mind away from the wild situation.   
She tried to sleep her worries away as best she could, but to no avail, as she started hearing the voices of her friends…which were filled with anger and hatred.   
_You foolish girl,_ thought Ace angrily. _Why did you have to come from a normal home? Our fractured lives were going just fine, thank you._   
_ You've taken everything away from me, Angie! _ Cosmo noted wickedly. _Why do you have the Magic Force and I don't!? You never deserved to be in the Magic Express! Why did I even take you there the night you ran into me? I should have left you alone to your bad luck life._   
_Ace is_ my _boyfriend, Angela, said a distressed Mona. I know he loves you more than he does me, and I'm not going to let you get away with it!_   
_ Suddenly, out of nowhere, Zina leapt in front of the female magician and growled loudly, scaring the three away from her. It should have been comforting for her, but it actually made her more nervous._   
The shadow chuckled, not unkindly. _From the dark which you fear comes your rescue…_   
Angie became more and more stressed, adding more intensity to her darker self. "No…no. Please, don't. I'm not trying to destroy anything."   
The shadow self knew these thoughts were just delusions…caused by lack of food and the drugs. _Angie, you're too weak to do anything now. Please, let me take over so I can at least help you get out of here. We have to find a way out before it's too late._   
When Ferrio passed by the closet, he heard Angie screaming. "Larry, I think we'd better check on the girl."   
"Why should we, Joey? She's fine."   
"You heard the boss! We gotta make sure nothing happens to her. If something does, we're gonna be in serious trouble with him, you know that!"   
"Okay, fine." Jameson felt annoyed as he got up from the couch. "I'm tellin' ya, she's fine."   
When the twosome entered the secret laboratory, they found her struggling to hold her sanity together.   
Ferrio approached her very cautiously. "Hey, little girl, you all right?"   
She opened her eyes, which glowed in blue again. "I'm fine! Now leave me alone!"   
The two hit men did exactly what she said and quickly left the lab.   
Returning to the living room and panting in heavy breaths, the two were relieved to have gotten out of there.   
"Told ya," said Jameson. "She's doing fine."   
Back below, though, Angie continued struggling desperately not to allow her darkness to surface.   
_Within her soul the same struggle was taking place, but she soon noticed herself in a dark wasteland, just like she had done before when she nearly lost her life during the time of the dimensional rift. "What…what is this place?" she asked in fear._   
_ "This is the place you've avoided for nearly eight long years," said an ominous and dark female voice. "You have never wanted to come here, but now you've been_ forced _to be here."_   
_ "Just who are you!?"_   
_ When a stranger emerged from the shadows, she looked exactly like Angie! In a low tone she answered, "I'm you…only much darker."_   
_ "How can this be!?" Angie screamed. "I don't have a darker self!"_   
_"Angela, do yourself a favor. Quit lying to yourself!"_   
_ "I'm not lying!"_   
_ "Yes, you are, you foolish child! This is the one lie you've believed all this time, that you are in total control of yourself. I know for a fact you're **not!** You continue to hide behind the light, wanting so badly to avoid me. I am a part of you, Angela. It's time you accepted the fact."_   
_ "**No!** I would rather die than have darkness take me over!"_   
_The shadow self's eyes turned red with anger. "I don't believe this! You'd rather **die** than acknowledge my existence!? I am trying to **save your life!**"_   
_ "How can darkness save me!?" Angie shouted angrily. "All it does is create more hatred!"_   
_ "Which is exactly the buried feelings you have in your heart, even though you keep vehemently denying it. Think about Brad Fallon, Darlena Lowland, Mark Willoughby—"_   
_ **"Stop it!"** she screamed as she fell to her knees and held her head. "I don't have hatred!"_   
_ "Angela, listen to me. **Every** living being in this world has feelings of darkness within themselves. A lot of people like you won't accept that. Those closest to you have dealt with their own darker feelings in their lifetime. Even Ace knows of his darker side, growing up as a teenage criminal under Jack Malone's wing. What about Mona, who is trapped in the middle of this feud between the man she loves and her own father? You think she doesn't get angry about that?"_   
_ "I…guess so."_   
_ "And what about your best friend, Ashley? Being the daughter of Faceless, she's had bitter feelings, too. Remember what she and Marshall the shifter were both through at the same time? Ashley wanted to believe she was going mad rather than accept her mother being the master thief. It's like what you're doing now, even though you won't admit it."_   
_ Angie thought over very carefully yet shook her head violently. "No…I'm not a person who hates…I'm not going mad!"_   
_ "Yes, you are, Angela! You left Iowa altogether after college graduation so you could escape all those buried feelings of anger and rage, which have finally caught up with you after almost eight years. When you had to go back to Mason City for that parole hearing, you knew it would cause those painful memories to return. Ever since then, you've wanted so badly to forget my existence, but I am here, and you will accept it."_   
_ "No…I can't. I mustn't show my anger…"_   
_ The shadow became even more enraged. "Okay, Angela, that's the last straw! If you won't recognize my existence on your own free will, then I'll take you over right here, right now!" She ran up to Angie and started punching her in the face. "You're gonna understand my presence **now**, Angela Connie Jacobs! You will run no more!"_   
_ Angie wanted to use her magical powers, but each punch was getting more powerful. "No, don't! Please, stop it! You don't know what you're doing!"_   
_ "I know **exactly** what I'm doing, Angela! I'm forcing you to face those repressed feelings of anger, rage, and torture…all those feelings you have never shown, even to those closest to you!"_   
_ **"NOOO! STOP IT!"** _Angie screamed at the top of her lungs while clutching her head in pain.   
Jameson and Ferrio heard her commotion growing louder.   
"Joey, call the boss, quick!"   
Ferrio showed no hesitation in getting quickly to the telephone.   
At his office, Dr. Collins was looking over information for his class the next day. "Okay, let's see here, um, this formula will certainly be of importance. That's one I'll definitely put on that midterm." He then looked at his calendar. "I can't believe it. Just three more days, and I'll have the coveted Science World Award again." He chuckled in delight when he heard his own phone ringing. "District University, Dr. Collins speaking."   
"Boss, it's me, Joey!"   
The doctor's tone quickly turned to whispered anger. "You stupid idiot! Why are you calling me here right now?"   
"You said call if something's happening to Jacobs. She's screaming uncontrollably right now."   
"What? Okay, you and Jameson get down there and try to tranquilize her. I'll be there as soon as I can." Collins quickly hung up the receiver and grabbed his coat.   
When some of his colleagues noticed him leaving early, he said, "Sorry, everyone. A friend's having an emergency right now, and I'm the only one close enough. I'll be back soon."   
He quickly sped off in his car for his home. "I've got to keep Angela alive!" he exclaimed. "She can't die on me! I need her for my experiment!"   
What Collins failed to notice was a snowy owl watching him closely from its perched position on a nearby church. _So, he is the one. I must follow him to his home. I will be needed to guide Ace to his heart sister._ The owl took flight and started tagging behind Collins from a safe distance. 

At Simons's office, he, Vega, and Madam President were looking over a map of the city, trying to isolate possible locations where Angie could have been held prisoner.   
"Let's see," said the President. "There's this old shopping mall that closed down a decade ago because of the new mega mall built between Washington and Baltimore."   
Vega then saw something else. "Say, what about this building here?"   
"No," Simons noted. "That's the old mayor's office. It's set to be demolished next week. If she were to be kept alive, that wouldn't work."   
"True. There are so many possibilities in this city."   
"Despite the government buildings and all, you're right, Derek. There are just too many buildings where she could be."   
Ace looked out the window at the blue sky when he was suddenly overwhelmed by a terrifying pain in his head. **_"AHHH!"_** he screamed while holding his head.   
Madam President ran up to him. "Ace, what's wrong?"   
"It's…the darkness…it's finally coming to the surface. Now we have to find Angie before she hurts someone or worse, herself."   
The four ran out to Simons' car and quickly left.   
Simons questioned, "How are we going to find her at this point?"   
"It's all up to Ace now. He'll have to find her telepathically."   
Ace closed his eyes and concentrated with his heart. "Angie, please, try to hold on. We're coming. Just hang in there." Glowing in a rippling violet, he felt the bond growing stronger again. "She's close…very close. Now if I can just get a fix on her location."   
Simons this time followed all of Ace's directions to the letter with no hesitation, even though his belief in the existence of real magic was still somewhat skeptical at this point. 

Back at Collins's home, Ferrio and Jameson grabbed their tranquilizer guns and went into the secret lab.   
When they entered the lab, they noticed Angie glowing brighter than ever in her light-blue aura.   
"What's with her?" asked a frantic Ferrio.   
"I don't know, but we'd better get her back under control fast!"   
The twosome aimed their tranquilizers into the cell and quickly fired their darts towards her.   
Angie, however, saw them coming and quickly stopped them cold with a powerful stare. "Gentlemen," she said in a low and barely audible tone of voice, "you will _not_ be using those petty darts on me!" With just a slight movement of her right hand, she turned the darts and aimed them back at the hit men!   
"Duck, Joey!" Jameson shouted.   
Both quickly hit the ground, just barely avoiding being hit by the tranquilizer darts.   
As for Angie herself, her anger rapidly grew into full-blooded rage. She started screaming louder than ever. Mysteriously, her clothing began to change into her special crimefighting costume, even though she _never_ said the command to do so!   
Jameson could not believe his eyes. "Oh, man! The little lady…is packing major power."   
"Whoa," Ferrio noted nervously. "This is frightening, man."   
"Let's see if we can slip out of here without her seeing us. Go very slowly towards the exit."   
The two men took delicate steps in hoping they would not have to face Angie's fit of rage.   
When Angie completed her transformation into the crimefighting magician, she turned to see them trying to get away. Her tone low and her attitude hot-tempered, she said, "You're not going anywhere."   
She put her hands forward and froze them dead in their tracks.   
"Damn, I can't move!" shouted Ferrio.   
"Me, neither!" Jameson then looked at Angie and pleaded for his life. "Please, little lady, don't hurt us. Just let us go. We were only hired by the doc, that's all."   
"That's _not_ a good enough excuse," she said coldly. "You kept me drugged so long I couldn't use my powers, but that miserable substance has finally let up, giving me the long-awaited chance to take out all my anger! You will pay!"   
She levitated both men into the air and motioned her fingers in a circular motion, causing the men to also spin around in the air.   
The two men screamed for their lives, both wondering if she had enough power to _kill_ them.   
After she stopped making them dizzy, she yelled, "Good night, boys! Sleep well." With a quick motion of both hands crossing each other, she made both men collide with each other hard, making them fall sharply to the ground unconscious, thankfully not dead. 

In Simons's car, Ace concentrated with all he had to locate Angie with their psychic bond. "We're getting closer, the signal is much stronger now."   
"Can you pinpoint the exact location?" Vega asked in concern.   
"No, I can't. Her darkness is still blocking me out."   
_Ace, I think I know where Angela may be. I am currently following someone who wants to keep her alive for some kind of experiment. I will land in the tree of the correct location. Please, you and your friends must hurry.>_   
_ I understand. We will get there as soon as possible._   
Simons followed Ace's directions as best he could, considering he was not taking the normal way of using directions. _This is too weird. I'm following someone's psychic signal instead of a map? I don't know how I'm going to write a report on this one._   
Madam President did the best she could to keep a cool head about the matter. _I know their magic is real, and I hope Angie will be all right. The poor child. Being kidnapped as her own worst fears and nightmares come back to haunt her now. Whoever is responsible may end up regretting his or her actions._

Collins had used every regular short-cut to get to his home as quickly as he could. After parking his car in the garage, he quickly ran into the house and towards his own secret laboratory.   
The snowy owl which had followed him landed safely on the strongest branch of a cherry blossom tree. _This is the house. Now I must send Ace over here._ It made contact with the Magician. _Ace, follow my thoughts for now. I am at the location of your heart sister's prison.>_   
In the car, Ace heard the owl's thoughts. _I understand._ "Simons, take a right turn on Edison, quickly. I know where she is now."   
"Whatever you say, Mr. Cooper." Simons followed Ace's directions down to the letter. "We'll find her soon enough."   
As Collins entered his secret lab, he saw a very shocking sight. "No…it's not possible. Both men out cold?" He then saw Angie in her special costume, glowing brighter than ever in her light-blue aura. "How could you take them both out from _inside_ your cell?"   
Facing him with glowing blue eyes of anger and hatred, she answered, "Have you forgotten, Doctor? I am a _magician_, capable of who knows what…" She then started walking towards the bars of her prison.   
"No, don't! You'll kill yourself! I need you alive!"   
"You don't get it, do you? I'm wearing _insulated_ gloves!" She grabbed two bars with her hands, amazingly not feeling any electricity going through her body. Her aura shielded her from being electrocuted again. With a scream of pure rage, she bent the bars with every inch of her own strength.   
"I…I can't believe this," Dr. Collins whispered in fear. "I'll have to increase the voltage." He ran to the controls and increased the settings to 10,000 volts! "You'll stop now, Angela."   
The escalation proved useless, as she still did not feel any of the electricity. "It won't do you any good, fool!" She bent the bars close to a 45-degree angle and simply stepped out of her cell. "Now for _you_, Dr. Collins!"   
Just outside the house, Simons continued listening to Ace's instructions.   
Passing one house, though, Ace said, "Simons, stop! Back up three houses, move!"   
The FBI head put his car in reverse and parked it in front of the one house. He then saw the owl again. "Hey, that's the white owl I saw earlier today."   
Madam President said, "That's a _snowy_ owl. They're almost _never_ found around here, just at the National Zoo."   
When all four looked at the home, Simons said, "Wait a minute…this is the home of Dr. Gregory Collins. He couldn't be responsible for this, and she can't be here."   
"This is it," Ace said slowly. "Angie _is_ here. It's strongest right here."   
When they ran to the front door, they realized it was locked.   
"We can't just break the door down and burst into the house," said Simons.   
Ace stated, "We won't have to…everyone stand back."   
Vega, Simons, and Madam President did as Ace had said and stood on the sidewalk leading to the door.   
Ace then grabbed his cape and went into a spin while screaming, **_"Magic Force, reveal the power within!"_**   
The second he finished changing into his crimefighting costume, he put his right hand on the door. The hand glowing in violet, he quickly unlocked and opened the door. "There, no damage done."   
Ace, Vega, and President Donovan quickly entered while Simons straggled behind, not believing what he had just seen. "I think I need a vacation."   
Collins grabbed one of the tranquilizer guns, hoping to put her to sleep with a dart. "Don't make me do this, Angela. I need you for the experiment."   
With a wicked smile on her face, Angie put her right hand forward and strained the muscles in that hand. "You've done enough to me. Now it's _my_ turn!"   
The gun quickly heated in his hands. "Ah, ouch!" he yelled as he had to drop the gun. "You're…out of control. I have to get out of here right now."   
Angie saw him trying to run for his life but quickly froze him in place. "No, you don't, Doctor. You're not getting away from me. Now I'd like to try an experiment on _you_!" She thought over about what kind of punishment he should receive as she made him float close to the ceiling. "Hmm, let's see. I grew up in Iowa, which is inside Tornado Alley. I've always wondered about the effects of a tornado…on the human body!"   
Collins gasped in total fear. "No…you wouldn't."   
"Oh, yes, I would. I think _you're_ perfect for _my_ experiment!"   
She quickly cupped her hands together and created a tiny tornado. When she threw it at Collins, though, it quickly grew into one that went from the floor to the ceiling of the lab. "See how you like it when you're trapped inside the tornado's vortex!" she shouted wickedly.   
Ace, Vega, Simons, and Madam President searched frantically through the house to find Angie.   
After meeting in the living room, Ace closed his eyes and said, "Angie is…below. I sense her presence just below this room."   
"But," said Simons, "there's no basement for this house."   
Madam President, though, noticed something not quite right in the living room. "Who would put a book case right next to the closet?" She then noticed a stack of books. "Let's see, _Biochemistry and Me, Geological Hazards, Physics 403, Cooking for Dummies, Scientific Theories for—_"   
"Wait," said Vega. "_Cooking for Dummies_?"   
"You're right. I've known Collins for quite some time. He doesn't cook." She grabbed the book and pulled it only slightly outward, which revealed a secret opening and a set of downward stairs in the closet. "Bingo! This must be where she is!"   
"Let's move!" Ace commanded.   
Meanwhile, Angie was starting slowly on her tornado. "Right now, I'm at the smallest level on the Fujita scale, F0, winds only going to about 72 miles per hour. Shouldn't have too much of an effect on the body, unless there's loose debris."   
"Angela, please, don't do this!" the doctor yelled in fear.   
"I'll do with _you_ as I want, and you're not going to get out of this easily. How dare you try to use my powers to create a dangerous weapon! Let's increase the speed a little to F1 status, where the winds start to get a little more creepy, say about 120 miles per hour."   
The twister became stronger as the scientist began pleading for his life. "Stop, please! I'm _begging_ you! I'm sorry!"   
"Sorry, Doctor," the young magician said in a very angry low tone. "Apologies will _not_ get you off the hook from me. You took me away from my home, my family, and my friends, you jerk! Now feel my _raw_ power. Let's move up to F2, with winds going to 170 miles per hour!"   
Just then, Ace and the others entered the lab to an unbelievable scene.   
"I don't believe it," Vega whispered. "I've _never_ seen Angie be angry enough to do _this_."   
Ace, concentrating on her soul, sadly said, "This is her darker, shadowed self, the self she buried for almost eight long years. All her anger and rage have finally come out."   
"Oh, my dear Lord," said a worried Madam President. "The poor thing. She's had nothing to eat, become delirious, and her anger and guilt have completely taken her over."   
Angie, still completely focused on her prey, decided to make her twister even stronger. "Prepare for F3, where peak winds reach **_212 miles per hour!_** It's starting to become rather difficult to survive in these powerful winds, isn't it, Collins?"   
Simons looked to his left and found Ferrio and Jameson both regaining consciousness. "All right, you two. You're both under arrest for kidnapping. Now, who hired both of you?"   
Ferrio shook the webs from his head and answered, "It was him, Dr. Collins. He hired both of us to kidnap the girl."   
"What for?"   
"He said," started Jameson, "he needed her for an experiment on using magic against others."   
Simons found himself flabbergasted by the answer. "Oh, my God. Collins wanted to tap into her powers and create a weapon out of it!?"   
"Yes," Ace answered slowly. "Collins knew how emotionally vulnerable Angie was, so he wanted her kidnapped instead of me, even though my magic is more powerful than hers."   
"What can we do to stop her from killing him?"   
"I have to reach out to Angie telepathically. If she knows I'm here, she'll stop immediately because…this is something she wanted _no one_ to see."   
Simons decided to let Ace try it for a change, despite his skepticism. "I trust you, Cooper. Go for it."   
Ace closed his eyes and used the bond between himself and Angie to communicate with her. _Angie, I am here._   
Angie still focused on her intended victim when she heard Ace's voice inside her mind. "No, it couldn't be," she whispered to herself. "He couldn't be here. If he saw me like this…"   
_Angie, I_ am _here. I'm standing right behind you. You must stop this before you kill Dr. Collins. I know why you're doing this. Please, let me help you._   
She kept the tornado steady as she slowly turned her head to the right. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the familiar tuft of white hair on top of Ace's head. "Oh, no," she whispered in fear.   
_Oh, yes,_ said the shadow. _Your brother in magic has seen me now._   
The female magician quickly moved her hands back to her, which caused the tornado to abruptly disappear and force Collins to fall to the ground.   
Ace opened his eyes to face her. "Angie," he whispered, "I'm here to help you. I know what's been happening to you."   
Angie, though, feared the reality of this situation. "No…you…you weren't supposed to see this. You shouldn't have _seen_ this!" She let out a blast of magic, causing Ace and everyone else in the room to fall to the ground. In complete panic she then ran out of the secret lab and up the stairs.   
Vega helped Ace stand and said, "We've got to catch up with Angie before she hurts herself or someone else."   
"You do that," said Madam President. "Meanwhile, we'll get the authorities here. Dr. Gregory Collins has a lot of explaining to do for this."   
Ace and Vega quickly took off to find the distraught young magician.   
When they got out the door of the home, Angie was nowhere in sight.   
"She got a good start on us," said a concerned Vega. "And Washington's a big city. How do we find her?"   
"I'll track her by feeling as best I can. I don't think she knows she's in Washington yet." He then noticed that the snowy owl in the tree earlier was already gone. _He's trying to find her, too._   
"Come on, Ace," said Vega. "We've got to find her now. Boy, finding Angie here is gonna be like finding that needle in the haystack."   
The two men took off together in the hopes of finding Angie before she caused further damage…to herself. 


	6. Flight of Fear

Reveal the DARKNESS Within   
The Conclusion: Flight of Fear

Angela Jacobs ran for her life through the streets of the big city, but _not_ Electro City. After being kidnapped by the noted scientist Dr. Gregory Collins, she had unleashed all her hidden feelings of anger and pain on him, almost killing him with a small but very intense cyclone.   
Ace and Vega had managed to find her just before she could make the tornado stronger.   
When she discovered what they had seen, she had blasted her way through with her magic and simply ran away. She was very frightened to even face her friends because of her buried anger. "I…have…to…get away…from him," she said in desperation. Still in her own crimefighting costume, she continued running as her cape flowed in the breeze.   
What she did not know was that a certain snowy owl was tailing her from a safe distance, trying to make sure she did not get herself hurt more than she already had been. _I have to stay on her tail. Ace knows I'm following her, but she doesn't know I'm here or where she herself is. I must make certain she does not harm herself. She believes in her heart she no longer has friends. I know this is not true, and so do her friends…Well, we're going to end this flight of fear tonight._   
Angie, still running, made a left turn at the corner of 17th Street and Constitution Avenue and discovered something unbelievable. "What the…" She noticed a tall off-white structure standing a good 500 feet high and shaped like an obelisk. "Oh, my God," she whispered. "That's the…_Washington Monument_? No, I couldn't be." She then started getting a feeling in her mind. "No…he's trying to find me. I can't let him find me!"   
She then ran into an alley on 17th Street and sat down on the ground. "I have to block him out completely. I must keep him from finding me." She closed her eyes and placed her hands to the temples of her head. "Must…not…let him…find me." She started concentrating hard to keep Ace from being able to locate her.   
Ace and Vega ran down Virginia Avenue hoping to find Angie before she did more damage to herself.   
Vega lost his breath. "Ace, stop. I can't keep up with you. I'm not that young, you know."   
"Derek, we have to catch up with Angie."   
"Try to track her by thought."   
Closing his eyes to concentrate, Ace was only able to see black. "She's…trying to prevent me from discovering where she is. She won't allow me to track her down."   
"She's that scared right now?"   
"Yes, she is. In her heart she doesn't believe she is worthy of our friendship anymore. I do sense she knows she is in Washington now. She has seen the Washington Monument."   
"That helps somewhat. It's just, how do we find her at this point?"   
"I have to keep trying to use the bond between us. She'll be straining herself badly because she hasn't eaten anything in three days."   
"Speaking of that, we don't have an emergency food supply kit with us."   
"Oh, yes, we do." Quickly moving his cape with his left hand, he made an emergency kit appear in his right hand. "I always keep it with me just in case it gets late when we find her."   
"You mean if we find her."   
"No, Derek…we will find her…somehow."   
As for Angie herself, she heard her darker shadow speak again. _Angela, why are you running from your friends? Don't you know they're worried about you?_   
"Why should they worry about me anymore?" she said with tears in her eyes. "I…don't deserve their friendship. They've seen my darker self. I'll never have their trust or their love ever again! I've lost everything!"   
_How do you know that?_   
"Just leave me alone! I could never face them again!"   
_What about your bond with Ace? You know it can't be broken unless one or the other dies…No, Angela, you wouldn't dare! I won't let you even contemplate that option!_   
"No…I'm not considering it. I'm just going to keep running alone…like I _deserve_ to be."   
She continued crying until she heard a very soft hissing noise. "Wha-what is that? Who's there?" She looked up at the street lamp and noticed a snowy owl. "Huh? A…a snowy owl here in Washington? I—no, it's you!" The female magician jumped up in fear and started running down 17th Street towards Independence Avenue. "Go away!" she screamed. "Leave me alone!"   
The owl was determined to stay with her. _No, Angela. I will not leave you alone, not until Ace finds you safely. I know you are blocking him out temporarily, but I can trace you until the Magician can catch up. You can't stop me from finding or protecting you. Owls like the dark and the hunt, and I am no exception._   
Ace and Vega came to the corner of Virginia and Constitution when Ace suddenly felt a surge in Angie's psychic signal. "I can sense her again." Focusing on her mind, he saw an image of her scrambling. "She's running due south and about to turn west."   
"From 17th to Independence Avenue. She's in the Mall."   
Ace looked at Vega strangely. "Derek, she's not in stable enough condition to go shopping!"   
"Not a shopping mall! The National Mall, the park here in Washington!"   
"Oh, um, sorry. I forgot the park here was called 'The Mall.'"   
"Never mind. Now, let me think. On Independence Avenue going west, the only three things there are the famous Reflecting Pool, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Lincoln Memorial."   
"How do you know what's here in Washington?"   
"When I was just starting out in law enforcement, I wanted to be an FBI agent, so when I passed the initial examinations, I was invited to come here for a tour of the city. I didn't get passed the second round, though, because I suffered a broken ankle on the training course."   
"I see. I guess to get into the FBI, it takes much tougher standards."   
"Exactly. Ace, listen, I'm completely out of breath. I'm not in as good shape as you are. I'll tell you where to go. Keep going east here on Constitution, then make a right onto 17th. Stay that way until you see a fork. Take the one on the right and you'll be on Independence. Just make sure she doesn't reach the Arlington Memorial Bridge. You can't miss it."   
"Thanks, Derek. What are you going to do?"   
"Commandeer a taxi and get to FBI headquarters. By now Dan has Ferrio, Jameson, and Collins in custody."   
"Right. I'll keep looking for Angie."   
"Ace, please find her before she gets herself hurt even more."   
"Count on it." Ace then ran using the directions Vega had given. He stayed on Constitution and then made the right on 17th Street.   
Angie had been using up so much energy running, she desperately needed rest. She came upon a reflection pool with a wedge of about 19 soldiers. She then sat down on a nearby bench. "Whew, that's better…and it looks like I've lost that pesky owl. No offense, but I can't let anybody find me at this point." She then felt Ace's psychic signal. "Oh, no. He's tracking me again." Breathing heavily, she concentrated with all she had to block him again. "No, I'm sorry, Ace, but I won't let you know where I am."   
In the process of trying to block him out, she suddenly heard another male voice in her mind, a memory of the evening she had told him about her parents. _Angie, I love you. I know you're going through emotional turmoil right now, but there is nothing on this planet that would make me stop loving you…_   
"Oh, Victor…I don't deserve your love. I don't deserve _anyone's_ love."   
She heard that frightening hiss again, this time from the top of one of the soldiers on the Korean War Memorial. When she saw the snowy owl had still followed her, she freaked out and ran from the bench, hoping just to get away from that owl.   
About an hour later, she noticed another familiar landmark. "The…Lincoln Memorial," she whispered. "I've got to rest. I'm so tired…and so hungry."   
Despite this, though, she tried to run for the landmark, the owl silent behind and above her. When she was getting close to the memorial, she accidentally tripped herself on a bump and fell down, scraping her left knee. "Ow," she cried. Noticing the tear in her tights and the bleeding on her knee, she quickly took her cape and bit into it, tearing a piece off to wrap the wound. Quickly enclosing the scraped area in a square knot, she started running as fast as she could, despite the pain in her knee. "I…can't let him…find me," she said in panting breath. "He's seen my darker self. He'll…never be my friend anymore. I'll _never_…have friends anymore."   
The owl flew above her and saw her get hurt. _The butterfly is injured. She will still try to block her heart brother away. I can't stop that, but I can prevent her leaving the Memorial…I'm not going to let her do this again._   
She finally came to the Lincoln Memorial and slowly took the stairs up to the monument. "I can't go on, not with this knee. I have to sit down and rest."   
The female magician finally sat down on the back side of the memorial so she could get some much needed respite from all the running. "I'm so…tired, so hungry. I can't move on. I have to keep trying…to block Ace." Clutching her head and closing her eyes, she concentrated with all her might to stop Ace from being able to track her down. 

Thousands of miles away in Electro City, it was lunch time for Cosmo and Zina, but they had little appetite mainly because they were very worried about Ace and Angie. They had not heard anything from either magician since Ace notified them about his arriving in Washington the night before.   
"I hope they're all right," said a worried Cosmo. "Washington's a really big city. In Angie's present condition, Ace is probably having a lot of trouble finding her."   
Zina did not comment; she was already quite aware of the problem…and completely capable of resolving it. Mysteriously, she began to glow in a light-blue aura, matching Angie's aura.   
Cosmo choked on the milk he was drinking when he saw her glowing. "Zina? Whoa, what's going on?"   
The panther rumbled softly, as though Ace were there in the room with her, as though he had just stroked her fur, before she stopped glowing and continued to eat her meal with renewed enjoyment. Cosmo shrugged, assumed that this was a good thing, and decided to ask Ace when the magicians returned. 

As Angie sat resting at the back end of the Lincoln Memorial, she noticed a bridge not too far from her. "Hmm, if I can get past that bridge, maybe I can finally get away from everyone."   
The owl landed on the top of the memorial, but decided not to hiss and scare her again. _It is best I try to help her from here, at least until Ace can come._ It then made mental contact with the female magician. _Why do you run, Butterfly?>_   
Angie knew the voice all too well. "What do you want with me?" she asked in fear. "Just leave me alone!"   
_Angela, why do you fear the darkness inside you?>_   
"I…I don't want anyone to see this side of me." She started shedding tears.   
_ Why?>_   
"B-because it hurts people! And I—"   
_Butterfly, do you recall when your shadow said, "From the dark which you fear comes your rescue"?>_   
"Yes, I do. What difference does that make?"   
_Your heart brother must also rely on his own darkness to do his jobs, both of them.>_   
"What are you talking about?"   
_Think back, Angela. His darkness comes from his past as a teenage criminal. He is able to use the knowledge from that darkness to bring the truth to light. And knowing what people fear and desire, he is a much better magician.>_   
"He…does? He…is?"   
_Yes, he does and is. And for the record, almost every time you and he made psychic contact, it took place at night. The only exception was the morning of your parents' funeral. However, that funeral was two hours ahead of Electro City, which made it early in the morning when he sensed your pain. Besides, look around you…can you see stars in the daylight?>_   
"So, the darkness doesn't have to be so…bad all the time?"   
_ No, Angela. Believe it or not, your shadowed self really_ was _trying to protect you from harm by that scientist. What you do not know is that it knew just how ill you were from the drugs and lack of food and water. You thought your only hope was to rely solely on the light, but to escape from Dr. Collins's twisted little scenario, you needed to acknowledge and trust the shadows. Since you refused, the consequence was that it took you over.>_   
"I…think I—no, that doesn't make any sense. I'm getting out of here!" She tried to get up to run again, but standing on her left knee caused more pain. "Ow!" she screamed.   
_You are too far hurt to walk, much less run, on that knee in your current condition. Call me crazy, but I hate cleaning infections…the square knot's slipping since you decided to move too fast and that's what will happen. I suggest you wait here for now.>_   
"I can't wait too long. Otherwise, Ace'll find me. I don't want him to find me."   
As the sun started setting in Washington, Ace ran west on Independence Avenue when he tried again to concentrate to locate the female magician but with no luck. "Please, Angie, let me find you." He shook his head as he saw nothing but darkness in his mind.   
Just then, he felt an unusual presence within himself. He felt a different person—rather, being—touching his mind. "Zina," he gasped. "She's trying to help me locate Angie." He felt himself becoming one with his panther partner. _Zina, I know you want to help me. Find her scent and focus an image into my mind._   
The Magician and Zina melded their two minds together in the hopes they could both see where Angie was.   
In a matter of seconds, Ace could see just where she was. "The Lincoln Memorial! She's taken refuge there…and she's hurt. I've got to reach her before she tries to get away again." _Thank you, Zina. You'll get a big reward from me when I return with Angie._ He heard a soft growl within his mind, knowing it was a growl of appreciation. Ace then ran past the Korean War Veterans Memorial at top speed.   
He then made contact with Vega via the wrist communicator. "Angie's at the Lincoln Memorial. Meet me there ASAP."   
"Madam President, Dan, and I are on the way. Just make sure she doesn't leave."   
Feeling her presence stronger than ever and guided by Zina, Ace finally reached his goal.   
Angie was in deep thought when she heard sudden footsteps approaching. She also sensed Ace's presence suddenly becoming stronger. "I have to get out of here!" Despite the pain in her left knee…and the owl's warning about the knot slipping, she started running towards the bridge. "It's my only chance…to escape for good."   
Ace came around the corner and saw the flowing and slightly torn cape created by her dash. "Angie, wait, please!" Knowing she would not listen out of pure terror, he closed his eyes and focused on his own power. _Angie, I'm sorry to have to do this, but you've left me no choice._ He then began to glow in his own violet aura and slowly put his hands toward the air. "Angie," he started softly but made his voice louder with every word after, "you…will…**_stop!_**" His hands extended outward, and upon opening his eyes, they glowed in violet as well.   
She kept running as fast as she could until she suddenly found herself completely frozen and unable to move. "Wha—no, no, **_no!_**" she yelled in sheer horror. "Let me go! Let me go! Please, just **_let me go!_**"   
Ace felt the enormous pain within her soul as she began floating backwards towards him. "Angie," he whispered sadly. "All the pain, the anger, the guilt, the self-torture, the agony…all confined within your being for so long and then suddenly let loose all at once. I vow to help you get through this, a promise I make with all my heart."   
Angie struggled despairingly to free herself from Ace's power. "Just let me go, please! I'm no good to you anymore!"   
His heart plummeted at her words. "No, Angie. I don't believe that, and I never will believe that."   
When she finally reached him, Ace held her arms to keep her from running away again.   
"Just leave me alone, Ace," she cried. "I'm no good to you. I'm not even worthy of this costume anymore."   
Ace looked straight in her eyes and said, "Not worthy of the costume, or not worthy…of love?"   
She put her face down in complete shame as tears fell freely.   
"Angie, I know what was happening to you. You feared your darker self so much that you believed you would lose your friends forever if it ever surfaced. I'm going to tell you right now that it's _not_ true. Remember the night I saved Vega's life in the explosion? When he knew of my own powers, I thought he wouldn't be my friend anymore. It didn't happen, though. He stuck by me every step of the way."   
"But Ace…I almost _killed_ someone. Someone nearly died because of me."   
Holding her for comfort and solace, he whispered, "It wasn't completely your fault. Dr. Collins wanted to use your powers as a weapon, which in itself made you very upset. In addition, you have not eaten in three days, you were becoming very delirious, and you were more frightened than before because of that darker voice telling you to trust it."   
Wiping her eyes, she looked at Ace and said, "I do remember my shadow telling me it wanted to save my life, but I never thought it would come to this, me nearly taking someone's life."   
"It was purely self-defense. I couldn't locate you telepathically because you were over 3000 miles away, and you knew your parents couldn't help you physically. Your darkness really was your only hope of escape."   
"What about my emotions, though? What happened to make my powers go so crazy?"   
"Angie, it's like this. Even though your heart does guide your magical power, your _emotions_ literally tap into that power. When you're in a good mood, the magic is calm and gentle. Battle-ready, your completely focused, allowing you to tap the deeper power. With anger, fear, and guilt overtaking you, however, your power can become as violent and destructive as that tornado you created on Collins."   
"I know some parts of your past, including your own darkness, and the fact you couldn't control your magic when you first figured things out. My question is, how did you get so good with the Magic Force?"   
"Years of practice, meditation, patience, and willpower. To fully understand what I could do, I had to calm myself down and focus the energy. I control the Magic Force from within my mind. Your Magic Force is powered by the heart, far more vulnerable than the mind. Since you are an emotionally sensitive person, it's tougher for you to be in complete control. After your parents' deaths, you were able to control and literally bury the power by absorbing the fear into your love of studying. Even then, you found it difficult to love and trust yourself."   
Angie nodded, miserable.   
"When your parents passed away so suddenly, you believed the love and trust within yourself had died, too. They didn't die; they just became lost somewhere deep inside your being. You felt you had betrayed both when you weren't with your parents that night. You don't feel worthy of love because you feel you never really deserved it after your parents died."   
Angie's eyes welled up with tears once more. "You're right, Ace. I'm _afraid_ to love and trust myself. Even after the Party Carnival, I still wasn't convincing myself. I'm sorry…I'm so sorry."   
Holding her in a warm embrace, Ace calmly said, "I know, Angie. Being able to love and trust yourself after such a trauma is very hard to do, and it will take a lot of time. I promise, though, you won't lose your home or your friends because your darker self surfaced."   
She still shivered in Ace's arms when there was a feeling of instant sun and the blink of golden eyes. She gasped and stepped back involuntarily as a young man, wrapped in a cloak of owl feathers, appeared from the night itself. She belatedly recalled the snowy owl that followed her closely since she had run away from Collins's home.   
"Hello again, Angie." The tenor voice was a reassurance, but the eyes were not. Golden eyes…the eyes of an owl. Gwydion Bright Owl, heart shifter of the Circle, was not one with whom any could dare to be especially close, except Marshall.   
Angie found envy stirring at the thought of the pair's closeness.   
Owl smiled, feeling amused. "Good. _Much_ better than I'd hoped…"   
"What do you mean?" she asked with high anxiety.   
"You aren't holding back. The very strange thing about this mess is that the less you acknowledged the darker self, the more control you gave it. In order to Heal, to be in control, you must love that self."   
"How do I do _that!?_ Marshall told me I fear love!"   
"And so you do. You feel unworthy of it because you have not earned it…Heart-sister of Ace, do you remember that love is a gift, freely given? And that Love itself exceeds all boundary and reason? Worth doesn't matter, only the fact you exist." His eyes danced. "It will not be an easy thing to do—accept Love's gift, but it can be done. Time and patience are your allies, and so is my heart-sib, for she has done this, too…both of us, actually."   
Angie became truly surprised. "When? How?"   
"Later, we will tell you," came the youth's promise.   
His right hand then reached out, brushing Angie's arm with his pale, strong fingers.   
Both magicians were stunned to see Angie's scrape and her aches and bruises disappear. The scrape glowed brightly through the piece of cape she used to stop the bleeding earlier, which as the boy had noted before, was coming loose.   
Angie then used her own magic to mend the tear in her tights and put her cape back together.   
"So," started Ace curiously, "where do we start?"   
"Where every quest begins and ends…within. Consider it a second, more _intimate_ apprenticeship…"   
"Intimate?" Angie questioned. "You mean something like…"   
"No, Angie, not _that_ idea of intimate. You already share that with Raven's brother. This intimate apprenticeship will involve how you are able to express yourself to those closest to you."   
"But…what if I fail, or I'm not worthy?"   
"Who sets the standard, Angie? _You_ do. I challenge you that when you get angry or upset you acknowledge and express your emotions openly instead of locking them away. After your outbursts, thank yourself for the gift of free expression."   
"That sounds very foolish," the female magician said dubiously.   
"Yes, it is, but please, for yourself, do it anyway."   
He started to walk away when Angie said, "Gwydion, wait. How did you know I would be here?"   
"I was requested by the Council…and Marshall…to follow you." With one last smile the shifter was back in owl form, leaving the two magicians alone in the night.   
Angie then heard Owl's voice in her mind. _If you need me, Angela, I am as easy to reach as my heart-sib. Think of me.>_   
As she continued staring at the sky, Ace looked at her. "Will you be okay?"   
"I don't know. I buried my darker half away for almost eight years. It'll probably take that long to love and trust myself again, maybe longer."   
"Maybe…but you have three important allies: time, patience, and most of all, friends at your side when you need help."   
"That sure…helps…ohhhhh…" She suddenly fainted into Ace's arms.   
Ace knew what had happened. "Hang on, Angie." He quickly made the emergency food kit appear and grabbed some dried fruit. "Here. Eat this."   
Angie opened her mouth and slowly chewed on the dried orange. "Mmmm…mmmm…mmmm…more."   
"Okay, how about this chocolate chip granola bar?"   
"Th-thank you."   
Ace fed her one bite at a time like a little baby, but considering what she had been through, doing this did not really bother him. He then gave her some bottled water to make the food go down. "It's okay, Angie. Go slowly."   
After taking some food in, she fell asleep.   
Just then, Simons, Vega, and Madam President all showed up in Simons's car.   
They all ran up to the two magicians.   
Vega looked concerned almost immediately. "Good Lord…Angie!"   
Ace picked her up and carried her in his arms. "Her adrenaline of fear finally wore down, and now she's extremely hungry. I've given her some dried fruit, a granola bar, and some water."   
Simons looked at her face, which was slightly going pale. "Not only is she hungry, she seems dehydrated. The only water she's had was in the little cell and then here just now with you. She needs to get to a hospital."   
President Donovan said, "We'll take her to the Voluntary Hospital of America. We can get there much faster if we take the Potomac River Freeway going north."   
"Good idea," said Vega. "The sooner we get there, the faster Angie can get treated."   
The group went back into Simons's car and quickly took off for the hospital.   
Less than 15 minutes later, they all arrived at the hospital, with Angie being placed in intensive care.   
In the waiting room, all four people who brought her were very anxious.   
The doctor-on-call came into the waiting room with a smile on his face. "I have some good news. Your friend Angie is responding to the intravenous fluids we put into her. We're also working on getting what's left of the tranquilizer drugs out of her system by detoxification."   
Ace breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."   
"It was surprising she wasn't worse than she really could have been, because the drug the kidnappers used on her was amazingly heavy on water, which kept her from getting dehydrated. After they stopped injecting her with it, she started losing the water and actually had some withdrawal symptoms."   
"The kidnappers had her drugged continuously for two days," said Vega.   
Ace then asked, "How long does she need to be here?"   
"I want her to stay tonight and tomorrow night for precautionary observation. If everything holds up, she'll be released the day after tomorrow. Is that all right with you, Mr. Cooper?"   
"Yes, that'll be fine. Can…I see her?"   
"I suggest you do so. She is not familiar with Washington, and this has been a bit overwhelming for her, after what you all told me. It'll be good for her to be surrounded by people she does know."   
Simons looked at Ace and Vega. "I wish I could stay, but President Donovan and I have a press conference to prepare."   
"Yes, we do," agreed Madam President. "I think the country will be very relieved to hear Angie's safe…which reminds me, Ace. I think you better call your friends back in Electro City and give them the good news first."   
"I'll take care of that after I see Angie."   
Ace and Vega went to Angie's hospital room while Simons and the President left the hospital to return to the White House and get the press conference ready for the morning.   
Angie slept soundly in the bed until she heard a warm voice touching her mind. _Angie, wake up. It's us. We're here._   
Squinting her eyes in the light, her vision was slightly blurred. After a few seconds, she was able to see clearly again. She turned to her left and saw the little tuft of white hair. "Ace," she said slowly, "you're here."   
"Yes, and so is Vega."   
She then moved her head to the right. "Hello, Vega."   
"Hi. Are you feeling okay?"   
"Physically, I'm getting better. Emotionally…I am a wreck."   
"I can understand that. You should've seen Ace the morning after he saved my life."   
"I…already did."   
"How?"   
Ace interjected, "Remember that Japan trip I took?"   
"Oh, yeah, that's right."   
Angie looked at the lieutenant. "Um, Vega, will…I be in some kind of trouble?"   
"In trouble? What do you mean?"   
"I almost killed Dr. Collins. Won't I…have to face some kind of charge?"   
Vega looked at her in complete surprise. "Angie, no. You're not being charged with anything. You didn't do anything wrong."   
"But—"   
"Angie, he's right," interrupted Ace. "Dr. Collins, Ferrio, and Jameson are the real ones in trouble with the law. What you did was pure survival and out of self-defense. Simons already knows that."   
"Who?"   
Vega explained about the help he and Ace received from Simons and the President. "Dan and I go way back. President Donovan was also very caring about this situation."   
"The President helped, too? I didn't know she was worried about me."   
"Angie, the whole country was worried about you. When Dan announces you're safe tomorrow morning, everybody will be breathing a sigh of relief."   
She then faced Ace. "So, how long am I going to be here?"   
"Probably until Friday. The doctor wants to keep you here a couple of nights as a precaution. Is that okay with you?"   
"Yeah, that's fine. I could use the rest anyhow." She then let out a long yawn.   
"We'll let you get some rest. You've been through enough of a nightmare."   
"Thanks, Ace. Thanks…for being a friend."   
He embraced her with a warm smile. "You'll always have friends, Angie. You _deserve_ friends."   
Ace and Vega left the room and turned out the light to allow her to sleep.   
During the night, Angie took a journey inside herself for a purpose.   
_She walked through a dark forest looking for someone. "Shadow self? Can I talk to you, please? It's important I speak with you."_   
_ The shadowed darker self walked forward with a surprised look on its face. "You…actually want speak to me…on you own free will?"_   
_ "Yes. I feel I must talk with you now, so I can at least start to understand myself better."_   
_ The shadow smiled and nodded its head. "Okay. Let's sit on this bench and chat."_   
_ When the two took their seats, Angie went straight forward. "The first thing I want to say to you is…I'm sorry. I never meant to bury you the way I did, and I'll completely understand if you don't want to forgive me." She then turned her face away in shame. "I left Iowa altogether because all I wanted to do was put away the past…along with my bitter feelings of losing Mom and Dad and being constantly picked on in school. I basically spent my college years alone in a dorm room for fear of living alone with my powers with Ashley and Ace for comfort."_   
_ Her shadow took her hand and said, "Angie, I don't condone what you did to me, burying me away for all those years, and I'm still a bit miffed by it. On the other hand, I know what you did was…unintentional."_   
_ Angie faced the shadow with surprise. "You…you understand?"_   
_ "Of course I do. It wasn't on purpose. You didn't do it to make your image better or anything. You were frightened. You were that scared of showing your feelings of anger—all right, hatred. You hid me away, hoping you would be able to deal with these feelings all alone. You believed for so long that if anyone saw you become very upset or angry, you would lose whatever friendship you had built. Look what happened, though, when you did allow me freedom. Instead of losing your friends, two of them took the long journey across the country to find you and try to help you while the others showed their concern for your safety. You have friends now, you won't lose them."_   
_ The magician shook her head, still uncertain. The shadow grinned ruefully and drew her into a strangely comforting embrace._   
_ "Angela, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being angry or upset. It is a part of the human nature. Even people who are always nice to others can get angry at times about something, but it doesn't make you unworthy of anything. Just remember, if you feel upset about something, don't be afraid to show it. There's no law that says you can't be angry with something or someone. Remember Paparazzo?"_   
_ "Yeah, I do. That was a wild one."_   
_ The shadow calmly said, "Well, take that as a model. We'll work things out together in here, while Ace can help you with your magic."_   
_ "It's a deal. But, there's one thing I'm a little concerned about."_   
_ "Oh." Her shadow self released their hug. "What are you worried about?"_   
_ "It's like this. If I **don't** get angry, then I start the whole cycle of burying you all over again, and I certainly don't want to go through that a second time. If I get **too** angry, I could lose control of my powers again."_   
_ "Hmm, that is a good point to consider. Why not talk to Ace? He understands this situation probably better than anyone."_   
_ "Okay, I think I will. Thanks for the suggestion. And…thank you for saving my life."_   
_ "We saved each other, Angela. We saved each other…or more properly, you saved yourself."_   
_ Angie stared, uncomprehending as the shadow seemed to fade into her dream-self, like a ghostly mirror-image dissipating slowly at sunrise._   
_ I saved myself…_   
With that pleasant thought, Angie was able to sleep peacefully for the first time in a long time. 

The next morning, Ace and Vega came into the room with the nurse and some food.   
"Good morning, Angie," said the nurse.   
"Hi. Ace, Vega, hi, guys."   
Vega smiled and said, "Morning, Angie. Want to see the news? Dan is holding the press conference right now."   
"Sure. I'll turn it on." She grabbed the bed controls and turned on the television.   
On the screen, Simons was on the podium and speaking into the microphone as he was surrounded by hundreds of reporters. "Ladies and gentlemen, we at the FBI are pleased to announce that the missing female magician Angela Jacobs has been found, and I am happy to report she is doing all right. She is recovering nicely in a local hospital."   
One of the reporters then asked, "We know you have Joey Ferrio and Larry Jameson in custody, but who was behind the abduction?"   
He took a deep breath and replied, "The man behind Miss Jacobs's abduction was Dr. Gregory Collins."   
"The winner of this year's World Science Award?"   
"Yes. The World Science Council has been notified and has stripped Collins of the award. They will be giving the award instead to Professor Jonathan Surge out in Electro City, California."   
"Why did Dr. Collins want to kidnap Miss Jacobs?" asked another reporter.   
"He wanted to try to make her magic into a dangerous weapon. Obviously, he had planned on doing this for a long period of time. We confiscated video disks that went back at least three years. However, his twisted scheme was foiled by the teamwork of the FBI, Lieutenant Derek Vega of the Electro City Police Department, and Ace Cooper, the Magician."   
Angie smiled. "He's right. It was a team effort."   
Ace sat next to her. "You and your shadow self are starting to get along?"   
"Yeah, but it's only a start right now. I still have a long way to go in the Healing process."   
"Don't worry, Angie. You've got the love of your friends and family at your side always."   
Angie then gasped. "Ace, I just remembered something. Collins said that I was able to help you escape from that water torture chamber the first time you tried the water immersion world record. How could I have done it?"   
"Good question. Give me your hands, Angie. We'll figure it out together."   
The two glowed in their auras of light, allowing them to see each other's thoughts.   
"Let's go back to that very night, and see what happened."   
Their minds went back to Ace's first attempt at the water immersion world record, the one that went wrong when Cosmo released it two seconds too early, nearly killing Ace.   
Ace, seeing Angie's thoughts in his mind, noticed something. "When you saw the laser hit the rod too early, you started praying for me not to get hurt. Then, you…started glowing?"   
Angie looked at Ace's thoughts and also discovered something peculiar. "I can see you glowing just before the rod comes down into the chamber. Then, you disappeared?"   
The two magicians looked at each other in astonishment.   
"You _did_ help me get out in time," said Ace in surprise.   
"Oh, my God," Angie whispered. "How?"   
"We'll figure that out when we come home, which according to the doctor, will be tomorrow afternoon."   
Vega then came up and said, "Dan's giving us a special flight non-stop from here to Electro City, and it leaves at 10:00 in the morning."   
"Good," Angie said with a smile. "I want to go home."   
"We all do, Angie, we all do." 

On that Friday, Ace, Angie, and Vega were given access to the same private jet used in the men's trip from Amarillo to Washington.   
That afternoon, a large crowd was on hand to see Angie's safe return after being away for nearly five days.   
The police had to hold the crowd back, as Ace, Angie, and Vega entered the terminal.   
Kendra Rayler was first to ask. "Miss Jacobs, how does it feel to be back in Electro City?"   
"I'm so glad to be home, in the comfort of my closest friends. The next thing I want to do now is set foot in the Magic Express!"   
As they left, Rayler then said, "Well, that's it. The incredible drama of Angela Jacobs's abduction has come to a happy ending. She is home, safe and sound, and we pray that something this horrible will never happen again."   
When they arrived at the Magic, Angie was greeted to a surprise party given by Mona and Cosmo. "Oh, you shouldn't have."   
"Yes, we should," said Mona. "Now, you need to eat some food. Get yourself fattened up again."   
Angie easily ate three buffalo wings, two mozzarella sticks, grilled shrimp, a half rack of ribs, some wild rice and plenty of water to get all that food down. "Mmm, thanks, Mona. This is absolutely delicious!"   
About an hour later, near eight in the evening, Angie went to Ace with a request. "Um, can I go to the House Sanctuary? There are a couple of people I need to see."   
"I understand. Go on."   
When Angie left, Cosmo came into the living room. "Um, dude, can I ask you something?"   
"Of course. What?"   
"Well, the other day, when I was trying to keep track of where you were in trying to find Angie, um, Zina…started glowing in Angie's color aura. What happened?"   
"That? Oh, let's just say there's been a little rapport between us for years. Don't tell Angie yet, though. She doesn't know that's how I managed to find her."   
"Whatever you say, dude."   
Angie arrived at the House Sanctuary and immediately noticed a silver falcon on its perch in the garden. "Hi, Marshall."   
The falcon whirred into its human form, spectacles and all. "Hello, Angie. Welcome back."   
"Thanks. Marshall, I want to…thank you for helping me. I have been fearing love, but I was too stubborn to admit it."   
"No, you weren't stubborn. You were just plain scared. Love wasn't easy for you all these years after you lost the two you loved most."   
"Yeah…your tactics have been shrewd and rather frightening, but sometimes it takes doing things harshly to get someone to understand."   
Marshall and Angie embraced each other, with Marshall feeling Angie's first step in healing.   
"So, you have finally acknowledged your own darkness?"   
"I've started to accept the darkness within me, but I have a long and difficult journey ahead."   
"I'll help where I can. I've been on one for a while, remember?"   
"True. I can't believe Gwydion never lost track of me in this mess."   
"You know how we both are as heart guardians. If you need him, me, or both of us, for any reason—"   
"I know what to do now, Marshall. Um, is Victor here?"   
"Yes. He's been waiting for you on that balcony." She waved to the figure. "Father Gregor's idea of a sun perch—er, porch."   
Angie ran up the stairs to the second floor balcony. "Victor?"   
He turned and smiled with joy. "Angie!"   
They ran to each other and hugged very tightly.   
"Angie…I didn't think I'd see you again, not after what happened to you."   
"Neither did I. I was too scared to trust…but I got out alive."   
"I'm glad. Michael said the Council had sent someone to help find you…and so they did."   
The two touched lips in the soft moonlight and held their kiss for about 20 seconds, which felt like forever to them.   
When they let themselves stand apart for a few minutes, Victor saw in her eyes that Angie was much more calm and relaxed than she had been in months, possibly years. Whatever had happened in Washington had changed Angela Jacobs yet again, and it was very good to see and to feel.   
"See anything interesting on your imposed vacation?"   
"A few memorials. But someone asked me 'can you see stars in the daylight?'"   
"Sure, but not clearly. You only see them really well just about now…Care to watch the show?"   
Then both turned their attention to the night sky, watching in complete contented silence until the sunrise.   


  


THE END   


  


Angela Jacobs has finally accepted her shadowed darker self's existence within her soul. The fear of becoming emotional was a key factor in her burying her painful and sad feelings for so long. She now understands it's all right to become angry and upset. She is slightly concerned about how to control her emotions and her magic, though. Fortunately, Ace will help her get started in the emotional control factor soon enough. For now, though, her soul is finally obtaining inner peace, and Angie has allowed the darkness to coexist with the light. 

I dedicate this story with love and respect to those affected by the events of September 11, 2001. We will never forget. 


End file.
